Skip to content

Tag: renato Miranda

Giving thanks for small blessings

Published by Ellen on September 28, 2010

Y0u have to admire these principled officers for keeping the faith, for looking at the glass as half-full, rather than half-empty, as they take calmly the latest setback in their mutiny case that had its origin in their resistance to the use by Gloria Arroyo of the military to thwart the will of the people in the 2004 elections.

Praying for an enlighted decision at the start of the hearing

Tuesday, the military court headed by Maj. Gen. Josue S. Gaverza Jr. released its much delayed decision on the motion of the accused to dismiss the case as the prosecution has not proven that the accused officers committed mutiny in February 2006.

Cleared of mutiny charges
The court granted the motion of seven officers, four from the Marines – Col. Orlando de Leon, Lt. Col. Custodio Parcon, Lt. Col. Achilles Segumalian and the only female officer among the accused Lt. Belinda Ferrer – and three from the Scout Rangers, namely Maj. Jose Leomar Doctolero, Capt. William Upano and Homer Estolas.

Continue readingGiving thanks for small blessings

Military court to decide fate of 16 officers in mutiny charge

Published by Ellen on September 8, 2010

By Tessa Jamandre
VERA Files

A military court will decide today on the plea—twice denied under the government of former President Gloria Arroyo—to exonerate 16 military officers facing mutiny charges for a supposed plot against her in 2006.

Update:

The court yesterday set another hearing on Sept. 24 for promulgation of this case. The hearing yesterday started with the court looking for the motions for reconsideration filed by the defense lawyers. Either the prosecution didn’t have them in their file or the panel didn’t get their copies. When the MRs were all found, the court asked the prosecution to make a comment within ten days from Sept. 9. Then they will issue the promulgation on Sept. 24.

This is the first time that the court martial proceedings will resume under the new commander-in-chief, Benigno Aquino III.
After two postponements, the court is finally expected to rule on the defense panel’s motion for reconsideration. The hearing was originally set for Aug. 27, then moved to Sept. 3. The last hearing was on May 21.

The motion asks the court to absolve the 16 officers of the charge of mutiny, which the court denied on Oct. 27, 2009. The accused appealed the decision, but their motion for reconsideration was denied just the same on March 2, 2010.

Continue readingMilitary court to decide fate of 16 officers in mutiny charge

Two hearings

Published by Ellen on September 6, 2009

Last Thursday, while former Armed Forces Chief Generoso Senga, now ambassador to Iran, was testifying at a court martial trial in Camp Aguinaldo on the stirrings in the military in February 2006, members of the Magdalo group were at the Commission on Election for a hearing on their application for accreditation of Magdalo Para sa Pagbabago as a regional political party in the National Capital Region.

Questions asked of Former Air Force Lieutenant Ashley Acedillo, secretary general and spokesman for the Magdalo group, revolved around whether they advocate violence as a means to introduce change. ( Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV had wanted to be present in the the Magdalo’s case at the Comelec but he was not granted permission by the Makati Regional trial Court.)

Acedillo told Comelec commissioners that their participation in the election process is proof of their advocacy for reform through peaceful means.

Continue readingTwo hearings

Prosecution witness favors defendants

Published by Ellen on July 17, 2009
Mayuga with Lim and Querubin
Mayuga with Lim and Querubin

Former Flag-officer-in-command Mateo Mayuga was the only witness presented by the prosecution yesterday in the mutiny case against 28 officers implicated in the alleged plan to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006.

Mayuga’s testimony however favored the defendants.

Mayuga, who is more known for the “Mayuga report”- an investigation of the participation of the military in the cheating in the 2004 elections, the results of which have been kept secret by the Arroyo administration, testified about the meeting on Feb. 23, 2006 called by the AFP Chief Generoso Senga.

Continue readingProsecution witness favors defendants

Unspeedy trial

Published by Ellen on March 26, 2009

Click on each of the pictures to view them enlarged.
wd-doc1 medal-of-valor-awardees2 dante-and-flor

james-and-alan new-panel-members parcs-with-lawyer

rangers-four-wd-vic danny-and-aloy gino

At the court martial hearing of the 28 officers accused of mutiny for a February 2006 non-event last Feb. 26, it was agreed that the next hearing would be on March 10, 2009.

A day before March 10, the lawyers of the accused were notified that the hearing would be on March 20. No explanation was given why the agreed hearing on March 10 would not push through.

March 20 came and all the lawyers and the accused (except for two officers) were present at the Daza Park hall in Camp Aguinaldo. But there were only three members of the panel who would be hearing the case: Maj. Gen. Jogy Fojas, Commodore Ramon Punzalan and law member Col. Marian Aleido, when there should at least be four of them to constitute a quorum. One member was out of the country. Even the trial judge advocate could not explain the absence of the other members of the panel.

Continue readingUnspeedy trial