2 Marine officers linked to coup quit posts

Two Marine officers decided to quit their posts, reportedly "out of propriety," after they were named among the 165 officers and servicemen facing probable court martial proceedings for their involvement in the Feb. 24 foiled coup attempt.

Marines Lt. Cols. Custodio Parcon and Armando Bañez tendered their resignations as deputy Marine commandant for operations and deputy Marine commandant for plans and programs, respectively.

Both gave up their posts Friday but without giving clear reasons.

Parcon belongs to the Philippine Military Academy Class ’86 while Banez is a member of PMA Class ’82.

Parcon was hailed as a hero of the Al Madina siege in Basilan where he earned his Medal of Valor award after he and his men rescued a kidnapped child amid heavy fire from the Abu Sayyaf bandits.

Banez, on the other hand, is an equally decorated officer whose tour on duty in Mindanao earned him high respect from his colleagues in the Marine corps.

A ranking Marine official explained both officers have resigned their posts "out of delicadeza," or propriety.

Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga, who has command and supervision of the Marines, however, could not explain why the two decorated officers quit their posts.

"I don’t know yet. The (resignation) papers are not with me yet," Mayuga said.

Malacañang, meanwhile, denied that Parxon and Bañez quit their posts ahead of an investigation against them.

Presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor said he was able to talk to one of the two and clarified the reports that came out. He, however, would not identify who he talked to.

"He told me it’s not true. Someone maliciously leaked it. He is a good friend of mine. He said, ‘I just asked for my relief because I felt that since there is an investigation, that I should not be actively participating in my unit,’" Defensor said.

But while he admitted having no idea why Parcon and Bañez quit, Mayuga claimed the morale of the Marines remains high.

Asked about the hundreds of Marines who have assembled in front of the Marine corps headquarters, Mayuga said the gathering was routine.

"Kampo yon eh (That is their camp). We always maintain a battalion at the Marines headquarters. They are training," Mayuga said to quell apprehensions that another standoff is in the making.

Several military sources, however, claimed the soldiers who have gathered in front of the Marine headquarters at Fort Bonifacio were staging a silent protest over the inclusion of former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and 14 other officers in the list of those who will be investigated over the foiled coup attempt last February.

Mayuga evaded questions on how the Marines reacted to the involvement of some of their officers.

Mayuga said he has yet to discuss the issue with Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Nelson Allaga.

"To be honest with you, I have not talked to General Allaga about that," he told reporters.

A total of 165 officers and soldiers could face criminal charges for alleged involvement in the coup plot.

Aside from the 15 Marines, those who will face investigation include 25 Army officers and as many as 125 servicemen.

The 165 men were named in a report from the panel submitted to Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz last Wednesday, recommending that they face a pre-trial investigation before a court martial would proceed.

AFP Inspector General Rear Adm. Rufino Lopez said the involved officers and servicemen have all been relieved of their posts in elite military units and put under the custody of their service commanders while they undergo a pre-trial investigation leading to a court-martial.

Lopez did not identify the officers and men when he made the announcement Thursday but did not dispute suggestions that those to be prosecuted include Miranda, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Marine Col. Arnel Querubin.

The officers and servicemen might face a court martial for mutiny, failure to report or suppress mutiny, sedition, disrespect toward the President and superior officers, and other violations of the Articles of War.

Miranda was sacked as commandant of the Marines and replaced by Allaga while Querubin lost his command of a Marine brigade in Marawi City.

Lim was also stripped of his post as commander of the Army’s elite Scout Ranger Regiment after being implicated in an alleged coup plot.

On top of court martial proceedings, the implicated officers might face summary dismissal proceedings.

When told about the resignation of Parcon and Banez, Lopez merely shrugged it off.

Despite their being highly decorated officers, Lopez said "they would not be missed" in the AFP.

Lopez also offered the same explanation to the rest of the rest of the officers that his committee has recommended to be charged before the military and civilian courts.

"What is (them) compared to the 17,000-strong military officer corps who are also equally good and decorated officers like them and have been doing good service to the country?" Lopez said. — With Aurea Calica