Trillanes: Gringo not involved in Oakwood mutiny

One of the hardcore leaders of the Magdalo group that staged the July 2003 mutiny said Wednesday detained former senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan had no hand in the failed uprising three years ago. In a chance interview during a court martial hearing in Camp Aguinaldo, Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes IV said the Oakwood incident was solely his group’s decision. "It (was) solely our own and to implicate others is just a distraction. That is the truth," Trillanes told reporters. Prior to the chance interview, Trillanes issued a statement which read: "I have said time and again that the Oakwood incident was solely our own. Implicating him (Honasan) and the others with the case is a mere ploy to distract the people from (the) real issues and project us as nothing but pawns with no real or valid grievance." "It was a nice story line but it didn’t hold in court. Of all the government witnesses in our case who claimed to have had meetings with Gringo, not a single mentioned that he was ordered by Gringo to go to Oakwood," he added. Early morning of July 27, 2003, over 300 soldiers headed by junior officers occupied the Oakwood Premier Suites in Makati City’s financial and commercial district protesting alleged rampant corruption in government, particularly in the military. The soldiers later agreed to return to barracks about 11 p.m. that same day. Officials later linked Honasan to the incident because his National Recovery Program (NRP) was said to have influenced the soldiers into going against the government. Likewise, authorities said Honasan met with the Magdalo leaders prior to the Oakwood siege. Incidentally, Honasan was among the negotiators at the time. On November 15, military and police intelligence agents nabbed Honasan at the posh Greenmeadows Subdivision in Quezon City after nine months in hiding. His arrest stemmed from the coup d’ etat charges filed in connection with the Oakwood mutiny. Honasan is also a respondent in the rebellion raps filed against several military and civilian personalities over the botched February 24 coup. Meeting with Gringo In the same chance interview, Trillanes admitted meeting Honasan prior to the July 2003 uprising, but quickly stressed that such was limited to discussions on the former senator’s NRP. "I’ve met him…orked with him in the formulation of his program. The NRP, we were working with him for that…It is an open document, it is not a subversive document," Trillanes said, although he failed to recall how many times they met In his statement, Trillanes said he still has high regard for Honasan "as an upperclassman and as friend." "Sir, I will see you in better times soon," it added. Trillanes, who had earlier expressed intentions of seeking a Senate seat in next year’s polls, said "it (running) will be very nice but its too early for that. I don’t want to be presumptuous. Like I said before, there may not even be an election." - GMANews.TV