Esperon downplays Oakwood 'agreement'

Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon downplayed the agreement supposedly arrived at during the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny between the government and the Magdalo soldiers, saying such was forged "under duress and therefore, not legally binding." In a chance interview at the Manila Overseas Press Club (MOPC) forum Tuesday night, Esperon said: "The agreements that were arrived at there…if there were (any)…were under duress so how could they be legally binding. The aim there was to simply end the siege of Oakwood." On July 27, 2003, over 300 junior officers and men occupied the Oakwood Premiere Suites in Makati City to press the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo over alleged rampant corruption in government. The mutiny ended that same day following negotiations by government emissaries headed by Roy Cimatu, a former military chief. At the time, Esperon was deputy chief of staff for operations (J3). Then Army Scout Ranger commander, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, was also part of the government negotiating team. Testifying before the Makati regional trial court on Tuesday, Lim confirmed that one of the agreements reached at the time was that only the hardcore leaders of the Magdalo would be made to face the consequences while the rest of the soldiers would simply be admonished. Lim was the first witness called by the defense panel in the coup d’ etat case pending before the sala of Judge Oscar Pimentel. A total of 29 junior officers and two enlisted personnel stand accused in the case. February 2006 coup Incidentally, Lim is also under detention for his supposed involvement in the botched February 2006 coup. He also stands accused of rebellion in connection with the November 29 standoff instigated by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in Makati City. "As far as I’m concerned, if there were agreements…I’m saying that that those were made under duress," Esperon said of Lim’s testimony. Asked if there was deception applied in forging the agreement, the military chief retorted: "Is that deception? Is that deception?" On whether it was intentional on government’s part to say in the agreement that only five of the mutineers would be charged, Esperon said: "Not really but that was how it turned out to be. I don’t even know the details of the agreement." The military chief likewise confirmed talking with Lim after the latter talked with the Magdalo leaders. He admitted telling Lim that admonishing the rest of the officers and men might not be the proper punishment since they were armed when they occupied the posh Oakwood apartments. "Why? Why? That is my question. Why admonish only when they were armed. In other words, he was for giving them (Oakwood mutineers) lighter punishments but me, I wanted the full force of the law to be applied," Esperon stressed. - GMANews.TV