Oakwood soldiers released

The 181 soldiers convicted of participating in the failed Oakwood mutiny nearly two years ago were released yesterday in ceremonies at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City amid stern warnings that they renounce military adventurism.

"I enjoin you to leave the harrowing experience behind, have a firm resolve not to join such exercises again, and we expect you to work for the betterment of our country and people," Chief Sgt. Maj. Jose Gabriel told the soldiers during yesterday’s early morning formation, their first since being incarcerated for their participation in the July 2003 mutiny.

It would also not hurt if the soldiers worked off the excess weight they had accumulated during the 22 months they were confined to barracks, according to Brig. Gen. Jovenal Narcise, who is in charge of training the soldiers prior to assigning them to various units in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Toward that end, the released soldiers will undergo basic military training once again before re-entering the service.

Gabriel said the military court’s slow pace worked in the soldiers’ favor since "it gave the prosecutors enough time to study and ponder the merits of your case. If things had been rushed, the decision might not be in your favor."

He added that the military court’s decision to free them only shows that the military justice system works.

Gabriel said the rebel soldiers’ isolation may have caused pain for them and their families, but may have given them the chance "to erase or eradicate whatever hatred, animosity or ill feeling you harbored towards society or anybody."

"You might not be aware of it but as your AFP sergeant major, I spent sleepless nights and lots of backroom negotiation efforts to pull you out of the morass and end your ordeal," said Gabriel, who oversees all enlisted personnel in the AFP.

Following their release, the rebel Army, Navy and Marine soldiers were temporarily placed under the control of the AFP Headquarters and Headquarters Support Group under Narcise’s command.

He said the soldiers — 181 of them, not 184 as earlier reported by the AFP — will undergo a two-week reorientation and training starting Monday next week.

"I welcome all of you who were involved in the mutinous event that transpired at Oakwood, Makati some two years ago back to the mainstream of our organization. You are now free and given a new lease of service in your armed forces," Narcise told the soldiers.

"Let all of us who wear the noble colors of our country rededicate and reaffirm our oath to the flag and our covenant with the people in protecting the sovereignty of the republic and securing the welfare of every Filipino. Together we stand united and steadfast in steering our armed forces towards a stable path of reform, responsiveness and good governance," he added.

The soldiers underwent a general medical check-up, one of the requirements for their reintegration into active military service.

As camp commander of Camp Aguinaldo, Narcise said the soldiers will also undergo pre-deployment training, which will prepare them to take on new roles once they are reintegrated into the military — hopefully removing any traces of military adventurism, and trimming the excess fat off their bodies.

"The Oakwood incident is a bad dream that ought to die a natural away as we all set it aside and march on towards the future," Narcise told the soldiers.

The AFP approved the release of the soldiers after they were sentenced last week to a year of hard labor and demotion in rank after they pleaded guilty to lesser charges of violating "good order and military discipline" and showing disrespect toward President Arroyo and their superiors.

In exchange, the charge of mutiny was dropped. The maximum penalty for mutiny is death.

The military tribunal recommended their immediate release, considering the time they had spent in detention as served time.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita — a retired military general himself — said the incarceration of soldiers and officers involved in the failed mutiny should serve as lesson to all AFP personnel.

He said soldiers should realize the civilian government’s supremacy over the military.

"Let this serve as a lesson to the soldiers that they should remain loyal to the leadership of the Armed Forces and the government. This should enlighten their minds, they would not be able to easily convince the majority of those in service to join them in mutinous actions," Ermita said.

He said the leaders of the mutiny — 29 junior officers — could also consider changing their positions in order to expedite the resolution of the cases filed against them.

The junior officers are being tried on charges of staging a coup d’état before the Makati City regional trial court. They face up to 40 years in prison if convicted.

Before the military court, these junior officers are being tried for mutiny and other charges. Except for the leaders of the mutiny, a majority of the junior officers have shown interest in accepting a plea bargain agreement with the military prosecutors.

The leaders maintain they did not seek to grab power but only the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo as they sought to expose rampant corruption in the government and the military.

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz said the leaders may not be as lucky as their men who, after accepting a plea bargain agreement, were released yesterday.

Mrs. Arroyo has ordered the trial of the Oakwood mutiny leaders to continue, he said.

"It’s better to let the court system and the court martial system try them," Cruz said.

Observers have noted that soldiers who staged coup d’état in the past were only ordered to do push-ups as punishment and subsequently reinstated. Gregorio Honasan, who led several attempts to oust then President Corazon Aquino, even went on to run successfully for a senate post.

Honasan was also charged with staging a coup d’état before the

Department of Justice in connection with the Oakwood mutiny. He has denied the allegations. — With Aurea Calica