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Tag: court martial

Seven years in detention, 10 Magdalo officers sentenced to 8 months in prison

Published by Ellen on April 8, 2010

Lim reading withdrawal of support from Arroyo government
Lim reading withdrawal of support from Arroyo government
A military tribunal sentenced on Wednesday to eight months in prison 10 former military officers from the reformist group Magdalo for their their participation in the November 2007 incident at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City, their lawyer said yesterday.

The 10, led by Magdalo core leaders Lt. (sg) James Layug and Capt. Gary Alejano, were given the light verdict after pleading guilty to all the four remaining charges filed against them before the court headed by Maj. Gen. Eduardo Oban.
The eight other officers were Lts. (sg) Eugene Gonzales, Andy Torrato, Manuel Cabochan; Capt Dan Orfiano; Lt. (jg) Arturo Pascua; and 1Lts. Billy Pascua, Jonnel Sangalang, and Armand Pontejos.

Lawyer Ed Abaya said his clients pleaded guilty to charges of violation of Articles of War 63 (disrespect to the President), 96 (conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman), 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline) and 70 (escape from confinement). The charge of mutiny was dropped.

Continue readingSeven years in detention, 10 Magdalo officers sentenced to 8 months in prison

Trapped

Published by Ellen on November 9, 2008

I think Col. Feliciano Loy’s tantrum near the end of last Friday’s court martial hearing of the mutiny case against Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and 27 other officers was more panic than anything else as reality dawned on him that what he has is a losing case.

“We believe that the prosecution has been trapped, We will have to withdraw from the pre-trial,” he said eliciting surprise, disgust, anger and amusement from the defense lawyers.

Col. Loy is the head of the prosecution team implementing the order of former AFP chief Hermogenes Esperon to have the 28 officers convicted for allegedly planning to withdraw support from Gloria Arroyo in February 2006 following the revelations in the “Hello Garci” tapes that she cheated in the 2004 elections.

Continue readingTrapped

Prosecution recommends dropping of mutiny charges

Published by Ellen on October 20, 2008

Col. Ariel Querubin Col. Januario Caringal

Col. Orlando de Leon Col. Armando Bañez

by Victor Reyes

THE chief prosecutor in the court martial of 28 military officers implicated in the supposed plan to overthrow the Arroyo government in February 2006 yesterday said he has recommended to AFP chief Gen. Alexander Yano the dropping of the mutiny charges against almost half of the accused.

At the resumption of the trial against the officers, chief prosecutor Col. Jose Feliciano Loy however said Yano did not approve or deny the recommendation. He did not say when he made the recommendation or exactly how many officers he recommended for “nolle prosequi.”

“I made a lengthy communication to the convening authority (Yano). Had the convening authority approved it, the charges against half of the accused would have been withdrawn at this point. But the recommendation was returned without action,” said Loy.

Continue readingProsecution recommends dropping of mutiny charges