By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 06:22pm (Mla time) 12/31/2006
A PROVINCIAL leader of the Bayan-Muna party list group was gunned down at his house in Albay province in the central Philippines early Sunday evening, New Year's Eve, militant leaders said.
Rodolfo "Pong" Alvarado, who is in his 40s, was shot eight times in the attack at his home in San Lorenzo village, Ligao town at around 5:45 p.m., Bayan Muna secretary general Robert de Castro said in a phone interview.
The secretary general of the affiliate group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Renato Reyes Jr, also confirmed that Alvarado had been killed.
Police could not immediately confirm the incident.
Alvarado is the 122nd Bayan Muna member to be killed and the 814th victim of extra-judicial killings since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed office in 2001, De Castro said.
He was the sixth nominee of the Bayan Muna party-list in the 2004 elections, where the group won three seats.
The spate of extra-judicial killings in the country, which has targeted left-wing activists and journalists, has alarmed the international community.
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Sunday, December 31, 2006
Police, health dep't on highest alert levels; injuries up
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 02:49pm (Mla time) 12/31/2006
HEALTH and police authorities are on their highest alert levels Sunday, as the number of firecracker-related injuries surged from the previous year, several hours before the traditional New Year's revelries, officials said.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said that as of last count late Saturday, 237 people have been injured due to firecrackers, up "eighty percent" from the same period in 2005. He could not immediately give exact comparative figures.
Duque attributed the rise in firecracker-related injuries to the proliferation of improvised cannons popularly known as "boga" that are made from plastic pipes and the "piccolo," a firecracker that can be ignited just by rubbing it against a flat surface.
"We just hope that the number of injuries will not go higher," Duque said in a phone interview.
In 2005, three people died while 610 others were injured due to firecrackers and stray bullets from December 21, 2005 to January 1, 2006, data from the Department of Health (DoH) showed.
One of the fatalities was a six-year old girl from Cavite City who was hit by a stray bullet while the two others were poisoned after ingesting "watusi" or dancing firecrackers.
Duque said hospitals across the country are on "code white," their highest alert level. He said he would lead an inspection of government hospitals late Sunday afternoon to check on their preparedness for the expected injuries.
The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, has been placed on full alert, its highest alert level, nationwide, PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr said.
PNP Chief Director General Oscar Calderon has ordered mobile patrols to confiscate "boga" and other banned pyrotechnics and arrest those caught indiscriminately firing their guns.
"Anyone caught firing guns indiscriminately will be arrested," Pagdilao said in a phone interview.
"We appeal to the public to report those caught indiscriminately firing their guns to our text hotline PNP 2920 and Patrol 117," he added.
Pagdilao said a policeman in Baguio City was caught indiscriminately firing his gun last December 24 and is facing investigation for possible administrative charges.
The policeman reportedly fired a warning shot to defuse a village scuffle, but Pagdilao said the use of his service firearm for that purpose was "not appropriate."
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INQUIRER.net
Last updated 02:49pm (Mla time) 12/31/2006
HEALTH and police authorities are on their highest alert levels Sunday, as the number of firecracker-related injuries surged from the previous year, several hours before the traditional New Year's revelries, officials said.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque said that as of last count late Saturday, 237 people have been injured due to firecrackers, up "eighty percent" from the same period in 2005. He could not immediately give exact comparative figures.
Duque attributed the rise in firecracker-related injuries to the proliferation of improvised cannons popularly known as "boga" that are made from plastic pipes and the "piccolo," a firecracker that can be ignited just by rubbing it against a flat surface.
"We just hope that the number of injuries will not go higher," Duque said in a phone interview.
In 2005, three people died while 610 others were injured due to firecrackers and stray bullets from December 21, 2005 to January 1, 2006, data from the Department of Health (DoH) showed.
One of the fatalities was a six-year old girl from Cavite City who was hit by a stray bullet while the two others were poisoned after ingesting "watusi" or dancing firecrackers.
Duque said hospitals across the country are on "code white," their highest alert level. He said he would lead an inspection of government hospitals late Sunday afternoon to check on their preparedness for the expected injuries.
The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, has been placed on full alert, its highest alert level, nationwide, PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr said.
PNP Chief Director General Oscar Calderon has ordered mobile patrols to confiscate "boga" and other banned pyrotechnics and arrest those caught indiscriminately firing their guns.
"Anyone caught firing guns indiscriminately will be arrested," Pagdilao said in a phone interview.
"We appeal to the public to report those caught indiscriminately firing their guns to our text hotline PNP 2920 and Patrol 117," he added.
Pagdilao said a policeman in Baguio City was caught indiscriminately firing his gun last December 24 and is facing investigation for possible administrative charges.
The policeman reportedly fired a warning shot to defuse a village scuffle, but Pagdilao said the use of his service firearm for that purpose was "not appropriate."
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Fire razes portion of Cabanatuan public market
By Joel Guinto
Northern Luzon Bureau, INQUIRER.net
Last updated 10:50am (Mla time) 12/31/2006
CABANATUAN CITY -- A blaze, believed to have been caused by firecrackers, razed a portion of the public market in this northern Philippine city early Saturday evening, police said.
There were no reports of casualties from the blaze that damaged an estimated P8 million worth of property.
Initial reports said the fire struck the part of the market on the corner of Burgos Avenue and Paco Roman streets at around 8 p.m.
Witnesses said they heard explosions similar to the sound of lit fireworks as the fire gutted almost one-fourth of the market building, which occupies an entire block in this city's downtown area.
Winds spread the fire to a building across the street where several drugstores are located.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer's Northern Luzon bureau quoted a police report as saying that quarreling sidewalk vendors who were throwing things at one another could have caused the fire.
Ambulances from the nearby Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Hospital were dispatched to the area to attend to possible casualties.
It was the second fire believed to have been caused by firecrackers to hit commercial establishments in the country this Christmas holiday week.
On Christmas Day last Monday, 25 people died after a blaze razed the Unitop store in Ormoc City in the central Philippines.
Authorities have warned the public against using firecrackers during the run-up to New Year's day celebrations, saying these could cause fires and injuries.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Northern Luzon Bureau, INQUIRER.net
Last updated 10:50am (Mla time) 12/31/2006
CABANATUAN CITY -- A blaze, believed to have been caused by firecrackers, razed a portion of the public market in this northern Philippine city early Saturday evening, police said.
There were no reports of casualties from the blaze that damaged an estimated P8 million worth of property.
Initial reports said the fire struck the part of the market on the corner of Burgos Avenue and Paco Roman streets at around 8 p.m.
Witnesses said they heard explosions similar to the sound of lit fireworks as the fire gutted almost one-fourth of the market building, which occupies an entire block in this city's downtown area.
Winds spread the fire to a building across the street where several drugstores are located.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer's Northern Luzon bureau quoted a police report as saying that quarreling sidewalk vendors who were throwing things at one another could have caused the fire.
Ambulances from the nearby Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Hospital were dispatched to the area to attend to possible casualties.
It was the second fire believed to have been caused by firecrackers to hit commercial establishments in the country this Christmas holiday week.
On Christmas Day last Monday, 25 people died after a blaze razed the Unitop store in Ormoc City in the central Philippines.
Authorities have warned the public against using firecrackers during the run-up to New Year's day celebrations, saying these could cause fires and injuries.
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Possible remains of Janjalani dug up, to be DNA-tested
First posted 03:10:26 (Mla time) December 28, 2006
Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net Inquirer
(2ND UPDATE) MARINE troops unearthed on Wednesday what are believed to be the remains of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani in the jungles of Sulu, where he and the two alleged masterminds of the 2002 Bali bombings have been trying to evade a five-month-old military dragnet, officials said.
Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Rogelio Calunsag said the remains will be flown to Zamboanga City for DNA testing by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory or US authorities.
He said the DNA samples taken from the decomposing corpse would be matched with samples to be taken from Janjalani's parents.
"Unless the DNA tests confirm, we can't say that it's Janjalani," Calunsag said in a phone interview with Inquirer.net
Tipsters led troops to the gravesite in the remote village of Kabuntakas in Patikul town, site of fierce encounters between Janjalani's group and government forces, Calunsag said.
Gen. Nelson Allaga, the Philippine Marine Corps Commandant in a phone interview with the Inquirer, said he was still “not sure if the body belongs to Janjalani.”
“It is still not conclusive as far as we are concerned,” Allaga said.
Allaga said a civilian informant claimed “he was the one who buried Janjalani” after a military operation on Sept. 24 in the hinterlands of Patikul in Sulu.
“He also guided and showed the troops where Janjalani was supposedly buried,” Allaga added.
But the Marine officer said: “We are not sure of this informant. He may be doing this because of the huge amount of reward or maybe some groups or quarters would like to make it appear that Janjalani is dead.”
Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, the Marine Brigade Commander based in Sulu, told the Inquirer that the confirmation depended on the forensic examination that would be done on the remains.
While not directly confirming it was the remains of Janjalani, Sabban said they had reasons to believe that the information that led them to the site of the remains was A-1 information.
"May nagpunta sa akin dito sa Sulu at sinabi September pa patay na si Janjalani at alam kung saan nakalibing (Someone came to me here in Sulu and said Janjalani has been dead since September and that he knew where Janjalani was buried)," Sabban said on the phone.
According to Sabban, the walk-in informant told him that Janjalani was among those killed during the Sept. 4 encounter with a Marine reconnaissance company in Indanan, Sulu.
That company was led by First Lt. Romulo Dimayuga, who lost six of his men in that clash.
Dimayuga was also wounded and among those evacuated to Zamboanga and then to V. Luna Hospital.
"Ang magbibigay ng confirmation niyan kung sino ang nahukay namin ay (The confirmation on whose remains we unearthed will come from) higher headquarters. We will let the forensic test speak for itself," Sabban said.
Sabban was also the lead officer responsible for the neutralization of another top Abu Sayyaf commander, Aldam Tilao, popularly known as Abu Sabaya in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte.
It was not the first time that the military claimed to have killed the elusive bandit leader, who carries a one-million-dollar bounty from the US government for his capture.
In 2004, Janjalani was also reported to have been killed in an air raid by the Philippine Air Force in Central Mindanao but doubts persisted then.
It was later confirmed that Janjalani was indeed in that group of Abu Sayyaf hit by the Air Force but he survived, although he was reported to have been wounded.
The military has been hot on the trail of Janjalani and Jemaah Islamiyah explosives experts Dulmatin and Umar Patek in Sulu since August 1.
The number of soldiers involved in the dragnet has swelled to nearly 8,000 over the months.
Dulmatin and Patek allegedly masterminded the bomb attacks on a nightclub strip in the Indonesian resort-island of Bali in October 2002 that killed over 200 people, mostly Western tourists.
In October, Dulmatin's wife, Istiada Binti Oemar Sovie, and their two children were arrested in Sulu for violation of immigration laws. They were deported back to Indonesia recently.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net Inquirer
(2ND UPDATE) MARINE troops unearthed on Wednesday what are believed to be the remains of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani in the jungles of Sulu, where he and the two alleged masterminds of the 2002 Bali bombings have been trying to evade a five-month-old military dragnet, officials said.
Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Rogelio Calunsag said the remains will be flown to Zamboanga City for DNA testing by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory or US authorities.
He said the DNA samples taken from the decomposing corpse would be matched with samples to be taken from Janjalani's parents.
"Unless the DNA tests confirm, we can't say that it's Janjalani," Calunsag said in a phone interview with Inquirer.net
Tipsters led troops to the gravesite in the remote village of Kabuntakas in Patikul town, site of fierce encounters between Janjalani's group and government forces, Calunsag said.
Gen. Nelson Allaga, the Philippine Marine Corps Commandant in a phone interview with the Inquirer, said he was still “not sure if the body belongs to Janjalani.”
“It is still not conclusive as far as we are concerned,” Allaga said.
Allaga said a civilian informant claimed “he was the one who buried Janjalani” after a military operation on Sept. 24 in the hinterlands of Patikul in Sulu.
“He also guided and showed the troops where Janjalani was supposedly buried,” Allaga added.
But the Marine officer said: “We are not sure of this informant. He may be doing this because of the huge amount of reward or maybe some groups or quarters would like to make it appear that Janjalani is dead.”
Brig. Gen. Juancho Sabban, the Marine Brigade Commander based in Sulu, told the Inquirer that the confirmation depended on the forensic examination that would be done on the remains.
While not directly confirming it was the remains of Janjalani, Sabban said they had reasons to believe that the information that led them to the site of the remains was A-1 information.
"May nagpunta sa akin dito sa Sulu at sinabi September pa patay na si Janjalani at alam kung saan nakalibing (Someone came to me here in Sulu and said Janjalani has been dead since September and that he knew where Janjalani was buried)," Sabban said on the phone.
According to Sabban, the walk-in informant told him that Janjalani was among those killed during the Sept. 4 encounter with a Marine reconnaissance company in Indanan, Sulu.
That company was led by First Lt. Romulo Dimayuga, who lost six of his men in that clash.
Dimayuga was also wounded and among those evacuated to Zamboanga and then to V. Luna Hospital.
"Ang magbibigay ng confirmation niyan kung sino ang nahukay namin ay (The confirmation on whose remains we unearthed will come from) higher headquarters. We will let the forensic test speak for itself," Sabban said.
Sabban was also the lead officer responsible for the neutralization of another top Abu Sayyaf commander, Aldam Tilao, popularly known as Abu Sabaya in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte.
It was not the first time that the military claimed to have killed the elusive bandit leader, who carries a one-million-dollar bounty from the US government for his capture.
In 2004, Janjalani was also reported to have been killed in an air raid by the Philippine Air Force in Central Mindanao but doubts persisted then.
It was later confirmed that Janjalani was indeed in that group of Abu Sayyaf hit by the Air Force but he survived, although he was reported to have been wounded.
The military has been hot on the trail of Janjalani and Jemaah Islamiyah explosives experts Dulmatin and Umar Patek in Sulu since August 1.
The number of soldiers involved in the dragnet has swelled to nearly 8,000 over the months.
Dulmatin and Patek allegedly masterminded the bomb attacks on a nightclub strip in the Indonesian resort-island of Bali in October 2002 that killed over 200 people, mostly Western tourists.
In October, Dulmatin's wife, Istiada Binti Oemar Sovie, and their two children were arrested in Sulu for violation of immigration laws. They were deported back to Indonesia recently.
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Friday, December 22, 2006
Terror leaders could be caught before year ends -- official
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 05:42pm (Mla time) 12/22/2006
ISLAMIC extremist leaders with links to the al-Qaeda global terror network, who have eluded a five-month-old military dragnet on the southern island province of Sulu, could be caught "before the start" of 2007, the military commander in the region said.
"I am hopeful maybe before the start of the year we will be able to get the high value targets Sahiron, Dulmatin, Patek, [and] Janjalani," Lieutenant General Eugenio Cedo, chief of the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command, told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.
Cedo was referring to Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, his sub-commander, Radullan Sahiron, and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) explosives experts Dulmatin and Umar Patek, the alleged brains of the 2002 Bali
bombings.
Some 7,500 troops have been running after the group in the Sulu jungles since August 1.
Cedo maintained the group was still in Sulu, as he branded as "misinformation" reports that they have slipped to neighboring Basilan island or central Mindanao.
"[Based on] intelligence information, they are still in the island. They can't get support from any other place other than Sulu," Cedo said.
He said Navy ships have surrounded Sulu and were ordered to "intercept dubious watercraft" that might attempt to leave the island.
The military commander also expressed that the arrest of the terrorist leaders would spell the end for the Abu Sayyaf, which he said numbered around 400.
"You know, the concept is that if you destroy the leaders, the others will just follow, they will surrender or what," Cedo said.
Under the Oplan Bantay Laya 2, the military's new internal security plan that will take effect on January 1, the military was tasked to "destroy" the Abu Sayyaf at the "soonest."
The Armed Forces was also ordered to "defeat" communist insurgency by the end of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's term in 2010 and "contain" the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 05:42pm (Mla time) 12/22/2006
ISLAMIC extremist leaders with links to the al-Qaeda global terror network, who have eluded a five-month-old military dragnet on the southern island province of Sulu, could be caught "before the start" of 2007, the military commander in the region said.
"I am hopeful maybe before the start of the year we will be able to get the high value targets Sahiron, Dulmatin, Patek, [and] Janjalani," Lieutenant General Eugenio Cedo, chief of the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command, told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.
Cedo was referring to Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khadaffy Janjalani, his sub-commander, Radullan Sahiron, and Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) explosives experts Dulmatin and Umar Patek, the alleged brains of the 2002 Bali
bombings.
Some 7,500 troops have been running after the group in the Sulu jungles since August 1.
Cedo maintained the group was still in Sulu, as he branded as "misinformation" reports that they have slipped to neighboring Basilan island or central Mindanao.
"[Based on] intelligence information, they are still in the island. They can't get support from any other place other than Sulu," Cedo said.
He said Navy ships have surrounded Sulu and were ordered to "intercept dubious watercraft" that might attempt to leave the island.
The military commander also expressed that the arrest of the terrorist leaders would spell the end for the Abu Sayyaf, which he said numbered around 400.
"You know, the concept is that if you destroy the leaders, the others will just follow, they will surrender or what," Cedo said.
Under the Oplan Bantay Laya 2, the military's new internal security plan that will take effect on January 1, the military was tasked to "destroy" the Abu Sayyaf at the "soonest."
The Armed Forces was also ordered to "defeat" communist insurgency by the end of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's term in 2010 and "contain" the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
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US cancels military exercises with RP over rape case
By Veronica Uy
Agence France-Presse, INQUIRER.net
Last updated 05:04pm (Mla time) 12/22/2006
(2ND UPDATE) THE United States has cancelled its annual joint military exercises with the Philippines due to the continued detention of a US Marine convicted of rape, an embassy spokesman said Friday.
“The custody issue is at the heart of this,” embassy spokesman Matt Lussenhop told INQUIRER.net. "Due to the current custody issue (over the US Marine), the usual protection provided to US servicemembers is in doubt."
The Court of Appeals on Tuesday threw out a petition by Lance Corporal Daniel Smith that he be transferred immediately to the custody of the US embassy while his conviction is under appeal.
Smith, 21, of St. Louis, was convicted on December 4 of raping a Filipino woman, identified in court as “Nicole”, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He has been detained at the Makati City jail.
Lussenhop said: "Until the government and the courts ensure the Philippines is in full compliance with the VFA (visiting forces agreement), it would not be prudent to bring additional US troops to the Philippines at this time."
Asked to comment on the US’s pullout from the Balikatan 2007 exercises, Foreign Affairs spokesman Eduardo Malaya said: “The DFA has not yet been officially notified.”
There was no immediate reaction from Malacañang.
Armed Forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro said they were leaving the matter to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Asked if the cancellation of the joint military exercises could be done unilaterally, Lussenhop said: “I honestly don't know about that.”
He said the cancellation of the field exercises was announced by Admiral William Fallon, commander of the US Pacific Command.
Smith's lawyers, the US Embassy and the Philippine departments of justice and foreign affairs have all said the American Marine’s current detention violates the VFA, which covers the presence of US troops in the Philippines.
A provision in the agreement says any accused American serviceman shall remain in US custody until all judicial proceedings are exhausted.
But regional trial court Judge Benjamin Pozon, who heard the case, said the provision applies only during "the judicial proceedings in the trial court" and expires upon a defendant's conviction, regardless of a pending appeal.
Lussenhop said that the United States had "no plans" to cut military aid to the Philippines or pull out any additional US troops.
Balikatan is the largest US military exercise held in the Philippines each year, involving as many as 5,000 American soldiers.
At least one round of joint exercises between Filipino and US troops has been planned in February, said a military official who coordinated past war games.
The Field Training Exercises was set to be held at Fort Magsaysay in Laur town, Nueva Ecija province, Crow Valley in Capas town, Tarlac province, and the Marine Base in Ternate town, Cavite province, said the official, who asked not to be named.
The case of the Filipina raped by the US Marine has sparked street protests and revived anti-American sentiment in this former US colony.
With Joel Guinto, Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, INQUIRER.net and The Associated Press
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Agence France-Presse, INQUIRER.net
Last updated 05:04pm (Mla time) 12/22/2006
(2ND UPDATE) THE United States has cancelled its annual joint military exercises with the Philippines due to the continued detention of a US Marine convicted of rape, an embassy spokesman said Friday.
“The custody issue is at the heart of this,” embassy spokesman Matt Lussenhop told INQUIRER.net. "Due to the current custody issue (over the US Marine), the usual protection provided to US servicemembers is in doubt."
The Court of Appeals on Tuesday threw out a petition by Lance Corporal Daniel Smith that he be transferred immediately to the custody of the US embassy while his conviction is under appeal.
Smith, 21, of St. Louis, was convicted on December 4 of raping a Filipino woman, identified in court as “Nicole”, and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He has been detained at the Makati City jail.
Lussenhop said: "Until the government and the courts ensure the Philippines is in full compliance with the VFA (visiting forces agreement), it would not be prudent to bring additional US troops to the Philippines at this time."
Asked to comment on the US’s pullout from the Balikatan 2007 exercises, Foreign Affairs spokesman Eduardo Malaya said: “The DFA has not yet been officially notified.”
There was no immediate reaction from Malacañang.
Armed Forces spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro said they were leaving the matter to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Asked if the cancellation of the joint military exercises could be done unilaterally, Lussenhop said: “I honestly don't know about that.”
He said the cancellation of the field exercises was announced by Admiral William Fallon, commander of the US Pacific Command.
Smith's lawyers, the US Embassy and the Philippine departments of justice and foreign affairs have all said the American Marine’s current detention violates the VFA, which covers the presence of US troops in the Philippines.
A provision in the agreement says any accused American serviceman shall remain in US custody until all judicial proceedings are exhausted.
But regional trial court Judge Benjamin Pozon, who heard the case, said the provision applies only during "the judicial proceedings in the trial court" and expires upon a defendant's conviction, regardless of a pending appeal.
Lussenhop said that the United States had "no plans" to cut military aid to the Philippines or pull out any additional US troops.
Balikatan is the largest US military exercise held in the Philippines each year, involving as many as 5,000 American soldiers.
At least one round of joint exercises between Filipino and US troops has been planned in February, said a military official who coordinated past war games.
The Field Training Exercises was set to be held at Fort Magsaysay in Laur town, Nueva Ecija province, Crow Valley in Capas town, Tarlac province, and the Marine Base in Ternate town, Cavite province, said the official, who asked not to be named.
The case of the Filipina raped by the US Marine has sparked street protests and revived anti-American sentiment in this former US colony.
With Joel Guinto, Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, INQUIRER.net and The Associated Press
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Military to remain vigilant despite truce
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 03:10pm (Mla time) 12/22/2006
(UPDATE) THE MILITARY will still guard against rebel attacks and extortion activities even while the four-day holiday truce with communist rebels is in effect, a spokesman for the Armed Forces said Friday.
Troops will remain on "defensive mode" when the unilateral ceasefire is in force from 12:01 a.m. on December 24 to midnight of December 25 and from 12:01 a.m. on December
31 to midnight of January 1, said Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved the ceasefire on Thursday as a "yuletide gesture." The New People’s Army rebels, who last year did not call for a similar four-day cessation of hostilities, have not responded to the truce declaration.
Bacarro said soldiers would continue on foot patrol in the "immediate periphery" of their camps to prevent rebel attacks and thwart extortion activities.
"There will be no pullout of troops [but] there will be no offensives,” Bacarro told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo, adding that under the truce “military operations are on defensive mode.”
"Sometimes the rebels take advantage of the situation, when they know that soldiers are just inside the camps," Bacarro said.
Also on Thursday, Arroyo approved Oplan Bantay Laya 2, the military's second internal security master plan that will take effect in January, after its predecessor, the five-year Bantay Laya 1, ends.
Under Bantay Laya 2, security forces are tasked to "defeat" the NPA by the end of Arroyo's term in 2010, "destroy" the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf at the "soonest," and "contain" the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Since Bantay Laya 1 was launched in January 2002 until end 2006, the NPA strength has been reduced to 7,100 from 12,000, Military Chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said.
The 7,100-strong NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging a protracted rebellion against the government since 1969.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 03:10pm (Mla time) 12/22/2006
(UPDATE) THE MILITARY will still guard against rebel attacks and extortion activities even while the four-day holiday truce with communist rebels is in effect, a spokesman for the Armed Forces said Friday.
Troops will remain on "defensive mode" when the unilateral ceasefire is in force from 12:01 a.m. on December 24 to midnight of December 25 and from 12:01 a.m. on December
31 to midnight of January 1, said Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved the ceasefire on Thursday as a "yuletide gesture." The New People’s Army rebels, who last year did not call for a similar four-day cessation of hostilities, have not responded to the truce declaration.
Bacarro said soldiers would continue on foot patrol in the "immediate periphery" of their camps to prevent rebel attacks and thwart extortion activities.
"There will be no pullout of troops [but] there will be no offensives,” Bacarro told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo, adding that under the truce “military operations are on defensive mode.”
"Sometimes the rebels take advantage of the situation, when they know that soldiers are just inside the camps," Bacarro said.
Also on Thursday, Arroyo approved Oplan Bantay Laya 2, the military's second internal security master plan that will take effect in January, after its predecessor, the five-year Bantay Laya 1, ends.
Under Bantay Laya 2, security forces are tasked to "defeat" the NPA by the end of Arroyo's term in 2010, "destroy" the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf at the "soonest," and "contain" the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Since Bantay Laya 1 was launched in January 2002 until end 2006, the NPA strength has been reduced to 7,100 from 12,000, Military Chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said.
The 7,100-strong NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging a protracted rebellion against the government since 1969.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
AFP to soldiers: Throw parties ‘within your means’
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 12:40pm (Mla time) 12/22/2006
THE ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) warned troops against using its name to solicit “gifts,” like money or goods, and throwing lavish parties beyond their means especially during the holiday season.
AFP spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro issued the statement in the wake of reports of a debauchery at the Christmas party of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).
"Solicitation in any form, in cash or in kind, is not allowed if they [soldiers] use the name of the AFP," Bacarro told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo, adding, "That's is a policy. [Solicitation] is banned."
Asked if the military leadership prohibits its offices from hosting lavish parties, Bacarro said: "No, as long as it is within their means."
But Bacarro refused to confirm or deny that ISAFP chief Brigadier General Delfin Bangit threw P500 bills like candy, that draft beer flowed, six roasted calves were laid on the buffet table, and stand-up comics from popular Quezon City bars entertained soldiers during Wednesday’s Christmas bash.
According to an Inquirer report, motorcycles, refrigerators, TV sets, ovens, mountain bikes, and other appliances that were raffled off that night were solicited.
"I am not privy to what happened. What we can do is to get in touch with the ISAFP," Bacarro said.
The reported extravagant ISAFP Christmas party was held on the eve of austere celebrations for the AFP's 71st founding anniversary.
The AFP leadership drummed up the austere rights, which did away with parades, fireworks displays, and lavish banquets. It was the third straight year that the anniversary was marked by simple rites.
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INQUIRER.net
Last updated 12:40pm (Mla time) 12/22/2006
THE ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) warned troops against using its name to solicit “gifts,” like money or goods, and throwing lavish parties beyond their means especially during the holiday season.
AFP spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Bartolome Bacarro issued the statement in the wake of reports of a debauchery at the Christmas party of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).
"Solicitation in any form, in cash or in kind, is not allowed if they [soldiers] use the name of the AFP," Bacarro told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo, adding, "That's is a policy. [Solicitation] is banned."
Asked if the military leadership prohibits its offices from hosting lavish parties, Bacarro said: "No, as long as it is within their means."
But Bacarro refused to confirm or deny that ISAFP chief Brigadier General Delfin Bangit threw P500 bills like candy, that draft beer flowed, six roasted calves were laid on the buffet table, and stand-up comics from popular Quezon City bars entertained soldiers during Wednesday’s Christmas bash.
According to an Inquirer report, motorcycles, refrigerators, TV sets, ovens, mountain bikes, and other appliances that were raffled off that night were solicited.
"I am not privy to what happened. What we can do is to get in touch with the ISAFP," Bacarro said.
The reported extravagant ISAFP Christmas party was held on the eve of austere celebrations for the AFP's 71st founding anniversary.
The AFP leadership drummed up the austere rights, which did away with parades, fireworks displays, and lavish banquets. It was the third straight year that the anniversary was marked by simple rites.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Arroyo declares Christmas truce with communists
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 12:28pm (Mla time) 12/21/2006
(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday approved a four-day unilateral Christmas truce with communist rebels, the military chief said.
"Suspension of offensive military operations" against the New People's Army (NPA) will take effect December 24-25 and December 31-January 1, said Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
Esperon made the announcement after a closed-door meeting with Arroyo and the military top brass at Camp Aguinaldo.
"This is simply a Yuletide gesture," he said, adding it did not mean the government was setting the stage for a resumption of peace talks suspended since 2003.
Since the 1980s, the military and the NPA have separately called ceasefires on Christmas and New Year's holidays, but last year the NPA rebels broke with tradition and said they would not call any truce.
Esperon said the military would stick to the truce, even if the NPA did not respond with a similar gesture and stage attacks.
"That's the risk of a unilateral ceasefire," he said.
The 7,100-strong NPA is the armed wing of the underground Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging a Maoist rebellion against the government since 1969.
Esperon said "preparations have been set in place" for possible rebel attacks, when the CPP marks its 38th founding anniversary on December 26.
The communist guerrilla strength has dropped from 12,000 fighters in 2002 to 7,100 this year, while the number of villages influenced by the rebels went down from 12,510 in 2004 to 2,115 this year, he said.
Arroyo earlier this year ordered an intensified campaign to finish off communist insurgency in two years, or before her term ends in 2010. She backed it with the release of P1 billion (US$20.2 million) for attack helicopters and other military equipment.
The truce does not cover other insurgent groups -- such as Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist groups -- which are the targets of a massive manhunt on southern Jolo island.
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INQUIRER.net
Last updated 12:28pm (Mla time) 12/21/2006
(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday approved a four-day unilateral Christmas truce with communist rebels, the military chief said.
"Suspension of offensive military operations" against the New People's Army (NPA) will take effect December 24-25 and December 31-January 1, said Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
Esperon made the announcement after a closed-door meeting with Arroyo and the military top brass at Camp Aguinaldo.
"This is simply a Yuletide gesture," he said, adding it did not mean the government was setting the stage for a resumption of peace talks suspended since 2003.
Since the 1980s, the military and the NPA have separately called ceasefires on Christmas and New Year's holidays, but last year the NPA rebels broke with tradition and said they would not call any truce.
Esperon said the military would stick to the truce, even if the NPA did not respond with a similar gesture and stage attacks.
"That's the risk of a unilateral ceasefire," he said.
The 7,100-strong NPA is the armed wing of the underground Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging a Maoist rebellion against the government since 1969.
Esperon said "preparations have been set in place" for possible rebel attacks, when the CPP marks its 38th founding anniversary on December 26.
The communist guerrilla strength has dropped from 12,000 fighters in 2002 to 7,100 this year, while the number of villages influenced by the rebels went down from 12,510 in 2004 to 2,115 this year, he said.
Arroyo earlier this year ordered an intensified campaign to finish off communist insurgency in two years, or before her term ends in 2010. She backed it with the release of P1 billion (US$20.2 million) for attack helicopters and other military equipment.
The truce does not cover other insurgent groups -- such as Jemaah Islamiyah and the Abu Sayyaf Muslim extremist groups -- which are the targets of a massive manhunt on southern Jolo island.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
No more adventurism, military chief assures Arroyo
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 11:10am (Mla time) 12/21/2006
(UPDATE) ARMED Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. assured President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday that "putting an end to adventurism" is "foremost" on the military's agenda.
Esperon told his commander-in-chief that with the key suspects behind the failed February coup d'etat facing court martial, restive troops would "think twice" before attempting to topple government.
Speaking at the 71st anniversary celebrations of the AFP in Camp Aguinaldo, Esperon said "internal transformation" would be pursued alongside Oplan Bantay Laya 2, the military's new internal security master plan, which will be launched in January.
"Foremost on our agenda is putting an end to adventurism and institutionalizing professional among our personnel," Esperon said.
"We have made great headway in this regards, as we have shown our resolve to prosecute transgressors. Now, adventurists would think twice, knowing that they would be dealt with the full force of the law," he added.
Esperon told Arroyo that military reforms are being pursued
"tirelessly" to prevent "coup-mongers" from exploiting soldiers' grievances.
He also thanked Arroyo profusely for addressing soldiers' needs on housing and health care and for supporting the AFP capability upgrade program. He said the words "thank you" five times in less than a minute.
"We could not ask for more," Esperon said, as Arroyo, who was seated onstage, smiled.
The expression of gratitude was reversed from last year's AFP anniversary when Arroyo thanked then military chief Generoso Senga for keeping the soldiery apolitical amid the political storm triggered by the "Hello Garci" wiretapping scandal.
The wiretapped tapes purportedly caught Arroyo speaking to former elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano about plans to rig the 2004 election results in her favor.
Twenty-eight officers linked to the failed February uprising are set to be arraigned before a general court martial on January 11 on mutiny charges for allegedly planning a mass withdrawal of support from Arroyo last February 24 by joining anti-government street demonstrations.
Ex-marine commandant Major General Renato Miranda, Army Brigadier General Danilo Lim and Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin lead the accused.
Even before the original group of 30 officers were arraigned last December 14, Esperon absolved two -- Marine Lieutenant Colonels Romulo Gualdrapa and Valentine Hizon -- due to lack of evidence.
The arraignment was originally scheduled on December 14 but was reset to January 11 due to numerous manifestations by defense counsels.
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Arroyo OKs military plan to crush insurgency, terrorism
By Joel Guinto
INQ7.net
Last updated 04:05pm (Mla time) 12/21/2006
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has approved the second phase of the military's master plan to finish off communist insurgency and Islamic extremism, Military Chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Thursday.
Esperon said Bantay Laya 2 aims to "defeat" the communist New People's Army (NPA) at the end of Arroyo's term in 2010, "destroy" the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf at the "soonest," and "contain" the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
"The AFP now stands at the crossroads. We are ready to submit to the commander-in-chief, Oplan Bantay Laya 2," Esperon said in a speech during the 71st founding anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Camp Aguinaldo.
In a separate speech, Arroyo said that as concurrent defense
secretary, she has drafted a medium-term mission for each branch of service in the AFP.
"Each major service shall organize, train, equip, deploy, and sustain its forces to achieve a strategic defeat of the communist terrorist movement by 2010, destroy the Abu Sayyaf, and other terrorist groups, and contain the secessionist groups," she said.
The predecessor of the new battle plan, the five-year Oplan Bantay Laya 1, will finish at the end of this year.
Esperon said during the five-year implementation of Bantay Laya 1, the strength of the NPA was brought down to 7,100 from 12,000.
The number of NPA-infested villages has also started to decline and is currently at 2,115 after peaking at 12,510 in December 2004, the military chief said.
In 2006, an NPA regional secretary was killed while 13 other guerilla front secretaries were either killed, captured, or surrendered, he said.
"If we cannot call that a success against the NPA, certainly, we would like to call that a momentum, a lot of momentum," he said.
Esperon said troops "are not letting up" against the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf, whose chieftain, Kahadaffy Janjalani and two Jemaah Islamiyah explosives experts, Dulmatin and Umar Patek, are the subjects of a five-month old manhunt in Sulu province.
"We hope to corner them soon," the military chief said.
He said the military will continue to throw its "all out support" to peace negotiations between the government and the MILF, the largest Muslim secessionist group in the country.
Peace talks bogged down several months ago over the ancestral domain issue.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
INQ7.net
Last updated 04:05pm (Mla time) 12/21/2006
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has approved the second phase of the military's master plan to finish off communist insurgency and Islamic extremism, Military Chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Thursday.
Esperon said Bantay Laya 2 aims to "defeat" the communist New People's Army (NPA) at the end of Arroyo's term in 2010, "destroy" the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf at the "soonest," and "contain" the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
"The AFP now stands at the crossroads. We are ready to submit to the commander-in-chief, Oplan Bantay Laya 2," Esperon said in a speech during the 71st founding anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Camp Aguinaldo.
In a separate speech, Arroyo said that as concurrent defense
secretary, she has drafted a medium-term mission for each branch of service in the AFP.
"Each major service shall organize, train, equip, deploy, and sustain its forces to achieve a strategic defeat of the communist terrorist movement by 2010, destroy the Abu Sayyaf, and other terrorist groups, and contain the secessionist groups," she said.
The predecessor of the new battle plan, the five-year Oplan Bantay Laya 1, will finish at the end of this year.
Esperon said during the five-year implementation of Bantay Laya 1, the strength of the NPA was brought down to 7,100 from 12,000.
The number of NPA-infested villages has also started to decline and is currently at 2,115 after peaking at 12,510 in December 2004, the military chief said.
In 2006, an NPA regional secretary was killed while 13 other guerilla front secretaries were either killed, captured, or surrendered, he said.
"If we cannot call that a success against the NPA, certainly, we would like to call that a momentum, a lot of momentum," he said.
Esperon said troops "are not letting up" against the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf, whose chieftain, Kahadaffy Janjalani and two Jemaah Islamiyah explosives experts, Dulmatin and Umar Patek, are the subjects of a five-month old manhunt in Sulu province.
"We hope to corner them soon," the military chief said.
He said the military will continue to throw its "all out support" to peace negotiations between the government and the MILF, the largest Muslim secessionist group in the country.
Peace talks bogged down several months ago over the ancestral domain issue.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Arroyo taps 2 retired generals to oversee AFP procurement
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 02:38pm (Mla time) 12/21/2006
(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has named two retired generals to a task force that will oversee the procurement of military hardware at the Department of National Defense (DND).
Vice Admiral Mayuga (in photo, file), who retired as Navy chief last December 8, and retired Lieutenant General Pedro Cabuay, who retired as Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) commander last July 31, will join finance undersecretary Roberto Tan in the task force, Arroyo said.
In a speech during the 71st anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Camp Aguinaldo Thursday, Arroyo said she has appointed Mayuga as presidential adviser, seconded to the DND.
Mayuga headed a military internal investigation that cleared four senior officers of involvement in alleged cheating that purportedly helped Arroyo win a fresh six-year mandate in the 2004 elections. His full report was never made public.
Cabuay was earlier appointed as deputy National Security Adviser, according to news reports. But in an interview with reporters on Thursday, he said he has not seen his appointment papers.
Mayuga and Cabuay join four other retired generals at the DND: undersecretaries Ernesto Carolina, Antonio Santos, and Ariston delos Reyes, and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Glen Rabonza.
"Transparency is crucial. Thus, the procurement process will be watched by the National Security Council, where the Department of National Defense is a member. The NSC shall be assisted by a task force of respected personalities," Arroyo said.
Arroyo said she was "tweaking" the military procurement process to align it with the new government procurement law and with the mission of the AFP and to generate "quick impact."
To the applause of the audience, composed of military commanders, Arroyo said procurement processes would be "transparent and overtly discouraging the involvement of brokers and middlemen."
Arroyo said she decided to stay on as concurrent defense chief for 60 days purposely to "restate the vision for the AFP and to put it into motion" before appointing a replacement for former secretary Avelino Cruz Jr., who resigned last November 30.
"We especially want to harness the younger generation of AFP officers by sharing with them a vision and the hardware to achieve it, as opposed to the patronage approach," she said.
Alleged corruption in the military has been the gripe of restive soldiers, including the 300-strong Magdalo group of junior officers and enlisted men who staged a day-long mutiny on July 27, 2003.
In 2004, the military's former comptroller, retired Major General Carlos Garcia, was charged before civilian and military courts for alleged corruption. A court martial sentenced him in December 2005 to two years imprisonment, hard labor, dishonorable dismissal from the service, and forfeiture of his retirement benefits.
Since the corruption scandal broke, the defense establishment has made several reform programs, including the abolition of the comptroller post or J6 and the deactivation of the AFP Logistics Command (Logcom),
an alleged source of corruption, to pave the way for the
decentralization of the military procurement system.
Observers from the private sector were also invited to biddings for supply contracts at the DND.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
4-day unilateral ceasefire recommended for Holidays
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 07:33pm (Mla time) 12/20/2006
A FOUR-day suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) against communist rebels this Christmas season has been recommended by Military Chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Esperon said that if the President would approve his "verbal" recommendation, the SOMO would take effect from December 24 to 25 and December 31 to January 1, Esperon said in an interview with reporters in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday.
"Suspension of offensive military operations has always been our recommendation, but as I said, from where the President is, she has
[been receiving] a lot of other inputs," Esperon said.
"It [SOMO] has been a yearly tradition as a gesture for the yuletide season," he added.
In 2005, Malacañang declared a four-day SOMO, from December 24 to 25 and December 31 to January 1.
Although the communist New People's Army (NPA) did not reciprocate, it had advised troops to be merely on a "defensive" mode during the holidays.
While the SOMO is in effect, Esperon said at least one-third of military forces would be placed on standby.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 07:33pm (Mla time) 12/20/2006
A FOUR-day suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) against communist rebels this Christmas season has been recommended by Military Chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Esperon said that if the President would approve his "verbal" recommendation, the SOMO would take effect from December 24 to 25 and December 31 to January 1, Esperon said in an interview with reporters in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday.
"Suspension of offensive military operations has always been our recommendation, but as I said, from where the President is, she has
[been receiving] a lot of other inputs," Esperon said.
"It [SOMO] has been a yearly tradition as a gesture for the yuletide season," he added.
In 2005, Malacañang declared a four-day SOMO, from December 24 to 25 and December 31 to January 1.
Although the communist New People's Army (NPA) did not reciprocate, it had advised troops to be merely on a "defensive" mode during the holidays.
While the SOMO is in effect, Esperon said at least one-third of military forces would be placed on standby.
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Marine to be tried for row with superior on Estrada VCDs
By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 01:00pm (Mla time) 12/20/2006
A MARINE junior officer who was caught distributing copies of a video compact disc (VCD) of deposed president Joseph Estrada's biopic should face court martial, investigators have recommended.
First Lieutenant Artemio Raymundo will be tried for alleged violation of Articles of War 64 (disrespect towards superior officer), 96 (conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman), and 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline), said Marine spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Caculitan, quoting the Marine Staff Judge Advocate.
Caculitan said a pre-trial investigation (PTI) report on Raymundo awaits approval from Major General Nelson Allaga, Marine commandant.
This will then be forwarded for final approval to Rear Admiral Rogelio Calunsag, Navy Flag Officer-in-Command.
"The recommendation of the SJA [staff judge advocate] is to conduct GCM [general court martial]," Caculitan told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.
But Caculitan clarified that the charges stemmed from a heated argument between Raymundo and his commanding officer at the Field Artillery Battalion, Major Danilo Luna, last September 25 and not for the alleged act of distributing copies of the Estrada documentary "To Live For The Masses," Caculitan said.
During the confrontation, Luna had reportedly ordered Raymundo to stop distributing the VCDs. When Raymundo talked back, the senior officer ordered him detained and submitted to pre-trial investigation.
Caculitan said Raymundo remained detained at the Philippine Marine
headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.
In a sworn statement dated September 29, Raymundo said he chanced upon the Estrada VCDs at a Light Rail Transit (LRT) train station and that no one had ordered him to distribute them.
"I've finished watching, that's why I gave them away," Raymundo said.
When asked how he got the VCDs, Raymundo said: "Napulot ko lang sa [I just chanced upon them at the] LRT two months ago. May nagdadamputan kaya nakidampot na ako, sir [There were people who were getting them, so I got for myself, sir]."
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 01:00pm (Mla time) 12/20/2006
A MARINE junior officer who was caught distributing copies of a video compact disc (VCD) of deposed president Joseph Estrada's biopic should face court martial, investigators have recommended.
First Lieutenant Artemio Raymundo will be tried for alleged violation of Articles of War 64 (disrespect towards superior officer), 96 (conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman), and 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline), said Marine spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Caculitan, quoting the Marine Staff Judge Advocate.
Caculitan said a pre-trial investigation (PTI) report on Raymundo awaits approval from Major General Nelson Allaga, Marine commandant.
This will then be forwarded for final approval to Rear Admiral Rogelio Calunsag, Navy Flag Officer-in-Command.
"The recommendation of the SJA [staff judge advocate] is to conduct GCM [general court martial]," Caculitan told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo.
But Caculitan clarified that the charges stemmed from a heated argument between Raymundo and his commanding officer at the Field Artillery Battalion, Major Danilo Luna, last September 25 and not for the alleged act of distributing copies of the Estrada documentary "To Live For The Masses," Caculitan said.
During the confrontation, Luna had reportedly ordered Raymundo to stop distributing the VCDs. When Raymundo talked back, the senior officer ordered him detained and submitted to pre-trial investigation.
Caculitan said Raymundo remained detained at the Philippine Marine
headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.
In a sworn statement dated September 29, Raymundo said he chanced upon the Estrada VCDs at a Light Rail Transit (LRT) train station and that no one had ordered him to distribute them.
"I've finished watching, that's why I gave them away," Raymundo said.
When asked how he got the VCDs, Raymundo said: "Napulot ko lang sa [I just chanced upon them at the] LRT two months ago. May nagdadamputan kaya nakidampot na ako, sir [There were people who were getting them, so I got for myself, sir]."
Click here to access article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Welcome
I will be posting my articles on this blog as they are published on INQUIRER.net starting December 20 for archive purposes
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