Fate of Army officer in 2011 Basilan clash known this week

MANILA, Philippines - A military tribunal is set to decide this week on the fate of an Army officer being tried over the Al-Barka clash in 2011 that left 19 soldiers dead.

Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan Jr., one of the members of the court martial, said they would soon issue a ruling on the case of Lt. Col. Leo Peña, the former chief of the 4th Special Forces Battalion.

“We will meet for the executive session. We will conduct a deliberation and we will meet this week and from there we will vote accordingly,” Tutaan said.  

Peña and three other officers have been accused of violating Articles of War No. 97 or conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman.

Two of the officers – former special operations task force Basilan chief Col. Alexander Macario and special forces regiment training school commandant Lt. Col. Orlando Edralin – have been cleared of the charges for lack of evidence.

The court martial, however, found Col. Aminkadra Undug, the former chief of the Army’s special forces regiment, guilty of violating the Articles of War.