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By James Konstantin Galvez, Reporter
The absence of a former chief of the Armed
Forces of the Philippines from a court hearing made a rebel soldier
less fond of the military.
Army Capt. Milo Maestrecampo, a leader of the
so-called Magdaló group of junior military officers, lost his
temper when Roy Cimatu, the military’s former commander, failed to
show up for the third time for Thursday’s hearing of rebellion
charges against him and other rebel soldiers. The charges arose from
their failed mutiny launched from Oakwood hotel in Makati City in
2003.
Cimatu’s no-show, according to Maestrecampo,
again delayed resolution of the case.
He then said he was prepared to accept any
verdict on the case, said Richard Anthony Fadullon, assistant state
prosecutor.
Fadullon, though, scored the defense for the
delay, saying they should have presented other witnesses, including
another Magdaló leader and now Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th, in the
absence of Cimatu.
Maestrecampo’s outburst drew criticism from
the Trillanes camp.
“It was out of line. It was not right and it
was out of place, especially when he [Maestrecampo] asked the judge
what remedy he can avail of [to speed up the hearing of the
case],” said Trillanes’ lawyer Reynaldo Robles. Judge Oscar
Pimentel of the Makati Regional Trial Court was trying the case.
Robles and another defense lawyer, Ernesto
Francisco Jr., said they were not delaying the trial, only that
Cimatu’s testimony was important to their case.
Cimatu could not attend the hearing since he had
to visit his ailing father in his home province.
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