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By Anthony Vargas Reporter
A GROUP of Army troops
“discharged” from the military service will ask the Army chief,
Lt. General Alexander Yano, to reconsider his decision, their legal
counsel said Wednesday.
The group is composed of 26 Scout
Rangers. They were ordered discharged from the service on October 26
after being linked in last year’s foiled coup attempt.
The Army chief decided to
discharge the 26 men based on recommendation of two investigating
boards that found them guilty of violating Articles of War 67
(mutiny) and 97 (prejudicial to military discipline).
The 26 soldiers were detained for
over a year at Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, but no formal charges
were filed against them in any military or civilian court.
“I will file a letter of
appeal, a motion for reconsideration to General Yano [for] errors
committed by the Philippine Army,” the group’s counsel, Atty.
Vicente Verdadero told defense reporters in a phone patch interview.
The lawyer said that the only
evidence against the 26 were their sworn statements to a
“fact-finding” mission, which he said was not a formal court nor
did it conduct a formal investigation.
“Definitely, this is not the
proper way to discharge enlisted personnel, as provided in their own
regulations,” Verdadero said adding this was revealed to him by
Colonel Gilberto Jose Roa of the Army Judge Advocate.
When asked if there’s a chance
Yano would reverse his decision, the lawyer said: “That’s the
process… whoever committed a mistake, should be given an
opportunity to correct it,”
The 26 are among the 40 enlisted
men implicated in last year’s foiled coup attempt who were
detained in Camp Capinpin without formal charges.
The remaining 14 are about to be
moved from Camp Capinpin to the army custodial management unit in
Fort Bonifacio where they will be questioned by army investigators
this coming November 9.
The enlisted men were stopped at
a checkpoint in Sipocot, Camarines Sur while reportedly on their way
to Manila to join street protests in marking the 20th Anniversary of
the 1986 Edsa People Power.
Verdadero said the soldiers were
only following orders from their commanders, and was on their way
back to their base in Bicol when they were stopped at the checkpoint.
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