The Army Inspector General started yesterday the investigation of 14 Army Scout Rangers who have been detained for almost two years in Tanay, Rizal for their alleged involvement in an aborted coup against President Arroyo in February 2006.
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres said a team of lawyers from the Army Inspector General went to Camp Capinpin in Tanay to get the statements of the 14 enlisted men.
He said the 14 soldiers were part of the 40 Scout Rangers ordered detained for almost two years without any charges after they were implicated in the failed coup on Feb. 24, 2006.
But the detained soldiers declined to execute any statement in the absence of a counsel.
The Army said 26 other Scout Rangers were released after they were dismissed from the service by Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano.
The 26 dismissed enlisted personnel were never charged before any military court, unlike the alleged coup leaders former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, ex-Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and ex-Marine Brigade commander in Lanao Col. Ariel Querubin, who are all detained at Camp Capinpin.
In the case of the 14 remaining Scout Rangers, Torres said it took the Army leadership some time to subject them to investigation due to some pressing concerns and the lack of legal personnel.
He said taking the statements of the 14 detainees is part of the ongoing efforts to gather evidence, but they were not able to do so after the soldiers invoked their right to counsel.
He said the Army has evidence against the rebel soldiers and the purpose of getting their statements is for them to defend themselves.
When asked why the legal process is only now being undertaken after almost two years, Torres blamed the Army’s shortage of legal personnel.
“Shortage of manpower due to the enormity of legal concerns that we need to address simultaneously, including extrajudicial killings, Sulu-Basilan incidents, CAFGU (Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit), the Jonas Burgos kidnapping, the Magdalo cases, among others,” he said.
Torres maintained that the Army hasn’t neglected the case of the Feb. 24, 2006 coup, saying that legal moves are in progress, citing the cases filed against the 28 senior, middle-grade and junior grade officers.
He also said the Army was also able to resolve the cases of the 26 enlisted personnel by ordering their dishonorable dismissal from the service.
Meanwhile, Maria Flor Querubin, wife of Col. Querubin, said she is happy with the Supreme Court decision granting the writ of habeas corpus petition they filed for her husband.
“We are so happy for the speedy action on the petition for habeas corpus. We are now hoping and praying that Ariel (Querubin) will be set free as soon as possible or at least place him under house arrest only,” Mrs. Querubin said.
She hopes that the SC would also rule favorably on their other petitions, saying that detained soldiers have strong doubts that they would ever get a fair trial under the present military leadership.