Navy chief downplays resignation of 2 Marine officers

The Flag Officer-in-Command of the Philippine Navy played down Saturday the reported resignations of two senior Marine officers from their posts, claiming all is well at the Philippine Marine Corps. In a chance interview, Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga said he has yet to see the resignation papers of Col. Armando Banez and Lt. Col. Custodio Parcon. “I don’t know yet. The papers are not with me yet," Mayuga said. The Philippine Marine Corps is under the Philippine Navy. Banez is the Marine deputy commandant for plans and programs while Parcon is deputy commandant. Parcon is a recipient of the Medal of Valor (MOV) award, the highest combat recognition in the military. Both are said to be included in the list of 40 officers and 125 men to undergo pretrial investigation for possible court martial in connection with the botched February 24 coup. "They resigned out of delicadeza," a military source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. But Mayuga stressed that the morale of the Marine soldiers is “always high" despite the fact that 25 of the officers facing possible court martial are from their ranks. Heading the list of Marine officers are Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and decorated Marine Col. Ariel Querubin, himself a recipient of the Medal of Valor award. Querubin is said to have hatched the February 24 incident along with US Military Academy product Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim who is currently detained at a maximum-security cell in Camp Capinpin in Tanay town in Rizal province. Miranda, on the other, was said to have tolerated the actions of Lim and Querubin to the extent of supporting the two officers who were to lead other soldiers in withdrawing support from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on February 24. - GMANews.TV