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The nine Magdaló officers of the futile 2003 Oakwood mutiny who
were later pardoned by President Gloria Arroyo can finally start a
new chapter of their lives after they were released from detention
on Friday.
Captains Milo Maestrecampo,
Gerardo Gambala, Albert Baloloy, John Andres, Alvin Ebreo and
Laurence Luis Somera, First Lieutenants Florentino Somera and Cleo
Donga-as and Second Lieutenant Bryan Yasay were freed from their
detention cell around 12:10 p.m., Philippine Army Spokesman Lt. Col.
Romeo Brawner Jr. said. The nine former mutineers all expressed
their sincerest gratitude to the President.
Prior to their release, the nine
signed the Joint Sworn Acceptance of Conditional Pardon on Thursday,
stating that each of them shall be permanently and perpetually
disqualified from rendering military service and shall not commit
any crime or felony or participate in a coup or other forms of
military adventurism.
The Makati Regional Trial Court
initially handed down a sentence of imprisonment ranging from six
years up to 40 years on the nine members of the Magdaló group that
led the failed July 2003 Oakwood mutiny.
This prompted them to issue an
apology to the people and the Armed Forces of the Philippines for
“severely” damaging the institution, and expressed their intent
to ask for a pardon, which was warmly welcomed by military and
defense officials.
--Jefferson Antiporda
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