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Wanted: Witnesses

Court martial hearings of the 28 officers charged with mutiny for a non-event in February 2006 are opportunities for Manila-based family members of those detained in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal to meet.

gino-and-renzoOne of those who always goes to Daza Park in Camp Aguinaldo every time there’s a hearing is Renzo Guinolbay, five-year old son of Capt. Ruben Guinolbay, known to many as the “hero of Lamitan” when he and his men battled with the Abu Sayyaf group who were holding the Dos Palmas hostages in 2001.

Renzo does not know that his father is under detention. He thinks that his father is undergoing training in Tanay.

In the hearing last April 17, Renzo came with his cousins, who were curious why there were so many soldiers in the area. Renzo said, “Oh, they are guarding my father’s class.” He thinks that his father and other officers are in a class because the setup in the courtroom is that all the accused are seated at the center of the room, surrounded by steel railings.

Mga api ba talaga ang pinuprotektahan ng partylist?

Sa isyu ng mga taong malapit sa mga Arroyo na nakasama sa bagong sectoral representatives katulod ni Maria Lourdes Arroyo at retired Gen. Jovito Palparan, sabi ni Press Undersecretary Anthony Golez na kahit ano pang ngak-gnak ng mga kritiko, yun ay batas at wala na silang magagawa.

Oo nga naman, ano naman ang magagawa ng mga tao kahit alam nilang binabastos na ang diwa ng batas nitong batas sa partylist.

Noong Martes nadagdagan ng 55 ang 22 na partylist representatives sa Kongreso ng inutusan ng Supreme Court and Commission on Elections na sundin ang bagong formula sa pagsunod ng batas para sa partylist.

One day of summer fun for children of detained officers

It’s summer time and most of children of officers who are facing charges of mutiny in connection with the February 2006 non-event are visiting their fathers in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.

Last Wednesday, former President Estrada allowed them to be at his JE camp/resort just across Camp Capinpin. The children had fun swimming.

Share their joy:

sliding-11 sliding-31 kobe1
about-to-jump renzo val
francine-and-julia francine-and-amiel2 fontiveros-brothers
inside-van1 julia-and-sean eating-time

Photo caption:

Prosecution wants to change rules in the middle of the game

group-picture-with-relatives2 arieldante-dannycol-parcs-with-allan-aurino-and-mon-almodovar danny-ariel-with-homer-and-gino

Update of the mutiny case against 28 officers in connection with the February 2006 alleged withdrawal of support from Gloria Arroyo following revelations of the military’s role in the tampering of election results as heard in the “Hello Garci” tapes:

The prosecution asked that the charge sheet, which focused on the Feb. 23, 2006 activities, be amended to include the Feb. 26 Fort Bonifacio standoff because their witnesses can only speak about the Feb. 26 standoff.

The court denied the motion to amend the charges.

More of this on Monday.

Photo caption:

Yano being pushed out?

Related stories in Malaya:

Yano, Luna nominated for ambassadorial posts

AFP chief leaving ahead of retirement

afp-chief-a-yano

Yesterday, text messages went around that the turnover rites of outgoing AFP Chief Alexander Yano to incoming AFP Victor Ibrado will be on May 1, 44 days earlier than his scheduled retirement of June 13.

We also got information that Yano’s vice chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna, who will retiring in September this year, will also be retiring on May 1.

It is not unusual for the turnover rites for the AFP chief to be held a few days before the end of term of outgoing chief but one-and-a-half months early? That’s tantamount to shortening a military officer’s term of service. In Gloria Arroyo’s senseless revolving door policy, that’s good for one full term of an AFP chief.

A night of music for street children

onesimo-reaching-our-concert-poster
A free concert for the benefit of street children will be held on April 26, 7:00 PM at the University of the Philippines Diliman Film Center. This musical celebration is organized by the non-stock, non-profit, christian organization Onesimo Foundation.

Swiss Filipino artist Ernie Opiasa will be joined by Armina Riethmüller, the Windsong Band, and the children of Onesimo Foundation in the concert “Reaching Out.”

Onesimo operates ten shelters (therapeutic communities) and drop-in centers in Metro Manila slum areas: at Quezon City’s Payatas, Frisco, Philcoa (2), Mendez, and F.Carlos; Malabon’s Letre and Manila’s Tondo and Quiapo (2). Onesimo has been registered since 1996 as a non-profit organization. It benefits from tax exemption and is licensed as a social institute by the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD).

Daniel Smith acquitted

‘Romantic episode,’ not rape, says CA

by Tetch Torres, Dona Pazzibugan

Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Court of Appeals has acquitted an American marine of raping a Filipina, saying the soldier and his accuser shared a “spontaneous, unplanned romantic episode.”

In a 71-page decision, the appellate court said Lance Corporal Daniel Smith and the victim, identified in court only as Nicole, were both intoxicated after a night out and were “carried away by their passions.”

The court also said Nicole flirted with Smith and led him on with “reckless abandon” and that there was “no evidence” that she was forced into sex.

Gusto ni Arroyo proteksyun

Mukhang nararamdaman ng mga adviser ni Arroyo na mahirap nilang ipilit ang Charter Change para manatili si Arroyo sa kapangyarihan, sabi ng isang kakilala namin sa Malacañang.

Kaya ngayon daw, ang kanilang strategy ay hindi para mapalawig pa ang kanyang kapit sa Malacañang kungdi kung paano siya maprutektahan kapag hindi na siya presidente.

Ang gusto lang daw niya ngayon ay magkaroon ng immunity from suits o hindi siya sasampahan ng kaso kapag hindi na siya presidente.