Air force captain faces court-martial for posting anti-corruption videos

MANILA, Philippines - An Air Force captain is facing court-martial charges for posting videos of his views on corruption in the popular video-sharing website YouTube, a military spokesman reported yesterday.

Maj. Gerry Zamudio, Air Force spokesman, said Capt. Joenel Pogoy was recommended to be charged before the military tribunal for violations of Articles of War 96 and 97 (conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman and conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline, respectively) for posting the video, which also includes his call for the public to join the struggle to oust President Arroyo.

The two offenses are punishable with dismissal from military service.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. told The STAR that he ordered the military leadership to expedite the resolution of Pogoy’s case.

Teodoro said Pogoy’s parents had sought his intercession into the case.

“They (military) should charge him if they have a tight case against him. If they don’t have any, he should be cleared and released immediately,” Teodoro said.

He downplayed any new destablization plot against the Arroyo Administration, despite the arrest of Pogoy.

Zamudio said the pre-trial investigation found prima facie evidence to charge Pogoy, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1999, before the court-martial for disgracing the organization.

He said the junior officer could face the efficiency and separation board over charges of immorality, as he was living with his girlfriend Marichu Claro even though his marriage to his wife had not yet been annulled.

Zamudio said Pogoy posted on YouTube videos of his views on the alleged corruption in the military in September 2008. A second video showed Pogoy calling on the people to support moves to oust Mrs. Arroyo from power.

Pogoy admitted to having authored the videos during the investigation, but claimed that it was Claro who posted it on the Internet, Zamudio said.

He said Pogoy also claimed that the videos were supposed to be used for his thesis as a student of the squadron officer’s course and is only for class discussion and not for public consumption.

In December of the same year and last January, there were videos that were again allegedly posted by Claro, a charge she denied.

Pogoy is now detained at the Air Force headquarters in Pasay City and is also facing charges of 12 counts of violation of the Bouncing Check Law by the Air Cavaliers’ Cooperative.

Zamudio said Pogoy allegedly has links with military officers who were earlier implicated in past destabilization attempts against the Arroyo administration.

Pogoy also allegedly met with some personalities, including a lawyer, with whom he discussed his plans to overthrow the government.