Aquino grants amnesty to Trillanes, mutineers

MANILA, Philippines (ABS-CBN) - President Benigno Aquino III has signed a proclamation granting amnesty to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and other soldiers involved in the Oakwood Mutiny in July 2003, the Marine standoff last February 2006 and the Manila Peninsula siege in November 2007.

Aquino said what he signed was a proclamation and is subject to concurrence by Congress.

The President made the announcement in an ambush interview after visiting the launch of the Electronic Business Name Registration System (eBNRS) at the DTI-NCR Area 3 office at Highway 54 along EDSA.

Aquino said the Department of Defense will process the application for the amnesty once it is concurred in by Congress.

The proclamation is expected to be sent to Congress today, Aquino said.

Trillanes is in military detention for his involvement in 2 of the events, including the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny and the Manila Peninsula Siege.

Other top military officials involved in the mutinous plots are Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda.

Lim, who ran for senator last May under President Aquino's political party, is involved in both the 2006 standoff and the Manila Peninsula Siege while Miranda is in detention for his alleged role in the Marine standoff.

In September, a group composed of prominent people came out with a full-page advertisement urging President Aquino to grant amnesty to the so-called Magdalo soldiers.

The group asked President Aquino to "grant amnesty to the active and former officers and enlisted personnel" of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) "who stood against the previous administration."

Among the signatories were former president Joseph Estrada, former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona Jr., former Senate Presidents Jovito Salonga and Ernesto Maceda, former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, former House Speaker Jose de Venecia and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.

"These soldiers have already suffered the consequences of their actions. They have paid their dues. We believe that it is the time for them to rebuild their lives, and in the process, contribute to rebuilding this nation," the ad stated.

Two months before the open letter came out, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima submitted to President Aquino its evaluation on the case of Trillanes.

This was after President Aquino ordered De Lima to review the coup d'etat charge against Trillanes since the elements of a coup were not present during the short-lived Oakwood mutiny.

"[Trillanes] was imprisoned because of Oakwood. My opinion is, and that is just my individual opinion, the fiscal should not have let that case prosper. There are several other cases but the coup d'etat case has specific requirements, which were not present. I think there was injustice there," the President said.

The statement sparked a brief debate at the Senate. Several senators criticized Aquino for allegedly meddling in a judicial matter.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan has proposed to file a bill in the Senate that will grant amnesty to junior officers who participated in the failed 2003 Oakwood Mutiny. (With reports from Ruby Tayag, radio dzMM and Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News)


Link: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/10/12/10/aquino-grants-amnesty-trillanes-mutineers

Arroyo Gov't Holds Back Pork Barrel Of Opposition Senator Intended For Military, School Projects

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 22, 2008) – Filipino opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV accused the Arroyo government of delaying the release of his 2007 and 2008 Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) which is intended for military hospitals and school projects.

Trillanes, a former navy officer, who led a failed coup against President Gloria Arroyo in 2003, said the government has withheld the release his P200 million PDAF which should go to health care and educational assistance projects.

He said P29 million of these funds also were supposed to be for military hospitals of the Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Navy, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Medical Center.

He said this month alone, at least 26 soldiers were reported wounded in clashes with Moro rebels in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur provinces.

“There’s obvious demand for medical services in light of the heightened conflict in Mindanao,” said Trillanes. “GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) herself put these men and women in the line of fire as a result of her failed peace policies. If she cannot help them, she shouldn’t stand in the way of those who want to,” he said in a statement.

A senator is entitled to P200 million funding for various projects. But most of the opposition senators have not received their PDAF.

Trillanes had earlier waived his 2007 PDAF allocation as an election campaign promise. But since half was already allocated upon assuming office, he directed the P100 million to public hospitals and for the construction of school buildings across the country.

“If the said amount would not be programmed, it would be like giving GMA a P100-million blank check,” he said.

Unused PDAF funds, also called pork barrel, are redirected to the national treasury and may be drawn by the Office of the President.

Other would-be beneficiaries of Trillanes’ 2008 PDAF include indigent patients of government hospitals nationwide and school assistance programs. Trillanes said all his funded projects have been posted on his website which can be accessed on this URL: http://www.senator.trillanes.org. (Mindanao Examiner)

Rebel Soldiers End Stand-Off In Manila; Journalists, Priests And Civilians Arrested

Filipino senator Antonio Trillanes in this television grad speaks Thursday Nov. 29, 2007 during a television interview shortly after they surrendered to authorities "to save lives of civilians and journalists" inside Manila Peninsula hotel where they were holed out. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)

MAKATI CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 29, 2007) – Rebel soldiers calling for President Gloria Arroyo’s resignation have surrendered peacefully to authorities late Thursday afternoon ending hours of uprising at a posh hotel in the Philippines’ main business district of Makati.

Heavily-armed members of the Philippine National Police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), backed by armored vehicles, fired tear gas inside the Manila Peninsula hotel in an effort to flush out rebel soldiers and civilians supporting them.

One armored vehicle broke into the hotel main entrance and fired more tear gas forcing journalists to seek cover.

Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes and Army Brigadier General Danilo Lim led a group of soldiers and civilian supporters to a long march that ended in Manila Peninsula hotel in Makati where they called for Arroyo’s resignation.

Among those who joined Trillanes and Lim was former Philippine Vice President Teofisto Guingona and leaders of civil society groups opposed to Arroyo’s rule.

Both Trillanes and Lim were implicated in previous attempt to oust Arroyo, who they accused of corruption and fraud in the May 2004 elections.

Trillanes and Lim said they decided to end the stand-off to save the lives of civilians, including journalists inside the hotel. “This only shows how cruel this administration of Arroyo that they would sacrifice the lives of civilians and journalists,” Trillanes said.

Police also arrested at least ten journalists who were covering the stand-off inside the hotel and seized their equipment, including video cameras.

Television footages showed journalists coming out the room where Trillanes and Lim were holed out with their hands raised in the air.

Police spokesman Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao said the journalists would be held for questioning. He did not elaborate.

Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon vowed Thursday to crush an uprising in Manila.

“We are trying to make plans here. I want to appeal for calmness and for the public not to allow to be hoodwinked by these people, Trillanes and Lim. We must not allow them to grab power,” Esperon said.

Esperon was in Zamboanga City visiting troops when news of the uprising broke out in a middle of meeting at the Western Mindanao Command headquarters.

Trillanes and Lim have urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw its support from the Arroyo administration.

Government spokesmen taunted Guingona, saying, he was too frail to be jailed.

Guingona is one or Arroyo’s most vocal critic and had previously joined protest rallies in Manila. (Mindanao Examiner)

Crush Uprising! RP Military Chief Tells Troops

Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon, who is visiting troops in Zamboanga City in Mindanao island, speaks on his mobile phones Thursday Nov. 30, 2007 after a group of soldiers led by Army Brigadier General Danilo Lim and opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes and hundreds of civilian supporters headed by former Vice President Teofisto Guingona marched in Manila and called on the military to withdraw its support from President Gloria Arroyo. Trillanes and Lim, who previously accused Arroyo of corruption and cheating in the May 2004 elections, are facing coup d'etat charges following a failed coup attempt in February 2006. (Mindanao Examiner Photo Service)

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 29, 2007) – Philippine military chief General Hermogenes Esperon vowed Thursday to crush an uprising in Manila.

Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes and Army Brigadier General Danilo Lim led a group of soldiers and civilian supporters to a long march that ended in the posh Manila Peninsula hotel in Makati where they called for Arroyo’s resignation.

Among those who joined Trillanes and Lim was former Philippine Vice President Teofisto Guingona and leaders of civil society groups opposed to Arroyo’s rule.

Both Trillanes and Lim were implicated in previous attempt to oust Arroyo, who they accused of corruption and fraud in the May 2004 elections.

“We are trying to make plans here. I want to appeal for calmness and for the public not to allow to be hoodwinked by these people, Trillanes and Lim. We must not allow them to grab power,” Esperon said.

Esperon was in Zamboanga City visiting troops when news of the uprising broke out in a middle of meeting at the Western Mindanao Command headquarters.

Trillanes and Lim have urged the Armed Forces of the Philippines to withdraw its support from the Arroyo administration.

Esperon said the military is control of the situation and ordered security forces to resolve the situation without bloodshed.

“There is a confrontational effort and I have given instructions to ground commanders to address the situation without bloodshed, but if situation arises we will do what is necessary. We intend to terminate this situation as soon as possible,” he said.

“Rest assured we are in full control of the situation. Just be calm about it and we should be able to resolve this situation. It is something we can address.”

Esperon said the AFP is solid behind Arroyo and would not allow the uprising to continue. He said the military has been put in red alert and warned soldiers not to support Trillanes and Lim.

“There is no need to conduct loyalty check among troops. I am in constant touch with senior commanders. I salute the solidarity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. We are intact and ready to enforce legal actions to address the situation in Makati,” he said.

Government spokesmen also taunted Guingona, saying, he was too frail to be jailed.

Guingona is one or Arroyo’s most vocal critic and had previously joined protest rallies in Manila. (Mindanao Examiner)