No plea for Oakwood mutineers

The junior military officers involved in the July 27 Oakwood mutiny last year did not enter any plea during yesterday afternoon’s arraignment on coup charges yesterday in Makati City.

During the two-hour hearing on the petition for bail, the court stenographer of Regional Trial CourtBranch 148 individually asked some 30 accused officers on how they would plead to the charges.

As advised by their legal counsel, officers remained silent.

Defense lawyer Roel Pulido said they used this strategy since other counsels of the accused are considering other legal means.

"The others did not file a motion to quash in the past. This remedy, which is available only before arraignment, will give them the opportunity to pursue other remedies. If they pleaded to the arraignment now, that would prevent them from pursuing remedies later," he said.

All officers were arraigned, except First Lieutenant Rex Bolo and Jonnel Sanggalang and Captain John Andres, who remains at large.

Judge Oscar Pimentel immediately ordered a warrant of arrest against Andres and ordered the jailers of Sanggalang to explain in 48 hours why he failed to produce his ward during yesterday’s hearing.

The state prosecutors also presented Commanding General Efren Abu as their first witness. Abu, on July 27 last year, was the commander of the Task Force Libra and commander of the 2nd Infantry Division. — Evelyn Macairan