February coup leaders transferred to Cavite

Six Marine colonels detained for last February’s failed power grab at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City were ordered transferred by Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon from Fort Bonifacio to Fort San Felipe in Cavite following reports that sympathizers were hatching plans to free them.

Esperon gave the order to tighten security around the senior Marine officers and have them transferred to the naval detention facility at Fort San Felipe after learning of the escape plot, military spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said, without elaborating.

"The chief of staff (has ordered) the FOIC (flag officer-in-command) to adopt stricter security measures because of reports that some elements will spring the six," Bacarro said, referring to Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga, chief custodian of the detained officers.

Marine colonels Ariel Querubin, Orlando de Leon and Januario Caringal, and lieutenant colonels Armando Bañez, Custodio Parcon and Achilles Segumalian are among the 13 Marine and 24 Army officers currently facing general court-martial proceedings for their supposed link to the botched Feb. 24 coup attempt.

They are currently being detained along with former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda in the Marine base at Fort Bonifacio, Bacarro said.

Also in justifying the transfer order, Bacarro cited Articles of War No. 70 wherein a commander is given the prerogative to decide where to detain erring subordinates.

As of yesterday afternoon, a check with several Marine sources showed the six are still detained at Fort Bonifacio.

"Dito pa sila. Wala pang transfer na nangyayari (They are still here. There’s no transfer yet)," said one of the sources.

Navy spokesman Lieutenant Commander Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said the transfer would happen "anytime from now."

"We are just following orders from the chief of staff (Esperon) to transfer them to a more secure place," Bacordo told reporters, although he failed to explain if the detention facility at Fort Bonifacio was no longer secure.

On Tuesday evening, text messages spread that Esperon had ordered the transfer of the six to Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal. Mayuga, however, "interceded" and the military chief agreed to transfer the group to Fort San Felipe instead. — With AFP