Military tribunal acquits 6 mutineers in 2006 Marine standoff

MANILA, Philippines - Six of the remaining nine military officers facing mutiny charges in connection with the Feb. 26, 2006 Marine standoff aimed at forcing then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to step down were acquitted yesterday by a military tribunal.

The military court cleared Army Scout Ranger Maj. Jason Aquino and Captains Isagani Criste, Montano Almodovar, James Sababan, Joesy Fontiveros and Dante Langkit.

The Special General Court-Martial headed by Maj. Gen. Joshue Gaverza Jr. declared in its ruling that military prosecutors failed to present enough evidence to pin down the accused junior officers.

“The series of meetings and activities they participated in… did not take place in Camp Aguinaldo or Fort Bonifacio, Makati City as alleged. All such activities transpired in Camp Tecson, Bulacan,” the military court said in acquitting the six.

“More importantly, it was not proven beyond reasonable doubt that they (accused junior officers) have performed any of the acts: withdrawing support from the president and convincing the chief of staff to also withdraw support and/or join the protest rally of the so-called civil society in EDSA,” the ruling added.

However, the military court maintained that insofar as three other senior officers are concerned – retired former Marine Commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, ex-Scout Ranger chief; Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and retired Marine Col. Ariel Querubin – there are sufficient grounds to proceed with the military trial against them.

“This court will retain its previous findings that the acts of accused Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Col. Ariel Querubin constitute to commit a particular crime,” the military tribunal said.

The military court specifically cited Miranda’s statements when he urged the then chief of staff (retired Lt. Gen. Generoso Senga) to join and support the people.

On national television, Lim, on the other hand, declared that he had withdrawn his support from Arroyo, now a Pampanga congresswoman, and called on the people to support the establishment of a new government.

The court said that Lim and Querubin told Senga and then Army chief and now retired Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. that they could no longer prevent their men from joining the march at EDSA and that they will be providing them leadership.

Earlier, all the accused officers, through their respective counsels, asked the military tribunal to exonerate them from the charges by filing a motion for dismissal of the case.

Reacting to the ruling, President Aquino said they would now focus their efforts in addressing corruption in the military.

On the other hand, Miranda’s counsel, Rolando Cipriano, said they will rethink their options, and these will include possible availment of the government’s amnesty program.

Miranda has already rejoined the government by heading the anti-illegal logging Task Force Kalikasan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Querubin also said he was just waiting for the exoneration of the remaining junior officers to apply for amnesty.