9 officers in Feb. '06 coup try given temporary liberty

Nine junior military officers implicated in an alleged attempt to overthrow the Arroyo administration four years ago have been granted temporary freedom by Armed Forces chief Gen. Delfin Bangit. Bangit approved the request for provisional liberty of the nine soldiers, who were all detained in Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, last Sunday, Armed Forces spokesman Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos said at a press briefing Tuesday. Allowed provisional liberty while undergoing trial for alleged mutiny were Majors Leomar Jose Doctolero and Jason Aquino; Captains Montano Almontovar, Isagani Criste, Joey Fontiveros, James Sababan and William Victorino Upano; and 1Lt. Homer Estolas. All nine soldiers were implicated in an alleged foiled attempt to oust President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in February 2006. Burgos said the nine would be brought to the Army Headquarters Support Group in Fort Bonifacio on Wednesday where they would be attached without assignments. “So that means they have no designation and no position of whatever kind, except to perform office duties at the Headquarters Support Group of the Philippine Army," Burgos said. Bangit designated Brig. Gen. Tristan Kison to take responsibility for the nine soldiers. Bangit, in a statement, said he granted the request of the soldiers after he was given assurance that they would “conduct themselves properly and shall abide faithfully by the conditions that the Armed Forces of the Philippines will impose." Burgos said the military no longer considers the nine officers as threats. “We are not going to grant them provisional liberty if we feel (they are threat)," he said. Seven Marine officers also linked to the plot remained in detention, including former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and Col. Ariel Querubin, who was deemed resigned from the military when he ran for senator in the recently concluded May 10 elections. Another leader of the alleged coup plot, former Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, has also been given temporary liberty by Bangit. Like Querubin, he ran for senator in the recent elections but lost. - Dreo Calonzo/KBK, GMANews.TV