More than a month after the prosecution rested its case, junior military officers who led and participated in the alleged coup d’etat are expected to testify before the Makati City regional trial court one after the other beginning tomorrow as part of the presentation by lawyers defending them.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), through a team of government lawyers headed by Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon, presented more than 20 witnesses to prove how the young soldiers allegedly staged a coup.
Among those who testified were former members of the Magdalo who claimed they did not really want to participate in the mutiny.
At least two witnesses also pointed to former senator Gregorio Honasan as among those behind the failed attempt to grab power and unseat President Arroyo.
These witnesses also testified that blood pacts were held days before the soldiers took over the Oakwood Hotel in Makati City and demanded Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation.
Honasan, who will reportedly run for senator in the May 2007 polls as one of the opposition party’s most winnable candidates, has been named as a respondent in the coup d’etat case after Judge Oscar Pimentel approved the consolidation of two separate cases.
During the first half of the trial, the mutineers attended each and every hearing held at the session hall of the old Makati City Hall building.
On several occasions, they issued statements that were secretly handed over to members of media to express their sentiments on current issues.
The prosecution panel believes it has built a strong case against the Magdalo soldiers, who are now detained at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
However, lawyers representing the young military officers — among whom are former senator Rene Saguisag, Theodore Te, and Roel Pulido — are expected to destroy the prosecution’s case by presenting counter-evidence and counter-testimonies in favor of their clients.
Meanwhile, despite a denial issued by Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, STAR sources said two Magdalo members are supposedly being subjected to mental and physical torture inside Fort Bonifacio.
Last week, the wives of Oakwood mutineers identified as 2nd Lt. Aldrin Baldonado and 1st Lt. Sonny Sarmiento bared how their husbands are allegedly being treated inhumanely inside the camp.
Wilma Baldonado and Venus Sarmiento said they have seen their respective husbands blindfolded and in handcuffs, being treated harshly in order to allegedly force them into making and signing statements against politicians who support their group.
"Yes. They are treated inhumanely. They have a box for a cell and are not given ample food to sustain good nutrition," a source from inside the camp confirmed.
"Even books and food from their families are not allowed," the source added, noting that Baldonado and Sarmiento are the only ones left to be broken in so far as Magdalo members from the Army are concerned.
Meanwhile, the military tribunal postponed hearing the case of 28 Army and Marine offices allegedly involved in the foiled Feb. 24 coup plot due to the upcoming 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Cebu City.
Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, commander of the military’s Southern Luzon Command and also the president of the special court-martial, said in an interview that instead of holding the second hearing on Thursday, they have decided to reset it to Jan. 18 at 9:00 a.m. at the headquarters of the Army’s 2nd infantry division in Tanay, Rizal.
"This is because some of the officers of the court-martial are also involved in security preparations for the ASEAN summit, so we have to make the necessary adjustments," he said.
The nine Marine officers facing charges before the military court- martial for allegedly violating the Articles of War are led by former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and Col. Ariel Querubin.
The 19 Army officers, on the other hand, are led by Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, sacked commander of the elite First Scout Ranger Regiment based at Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan.
The military leadership earlier said it is considering the possibility of putting all the accused officers into a single detention facility for convenience. Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said they are still looking for a suitable facility where the officers would be detained.
Aside from Capt. Dante Langkit, who is detained at the Intelligence and Security Group at Fort Bonifacio, all the 18 Scout Ranger officers are being held in custody at a maximum security facility in Camp Capinpin.
The nine Marine officers are presently detained at their headquarters at Fort Bonifacio. — With James Mananghaya