AFP inspector general to review court martial recommendation

Rear Admiral Rufino Lopez, military inspector general, will review the recommendation to try 20 Army officers in a general court martial for allegedly participating in last month’s plot to overthrow the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Angel Honrado said Lopez will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed with the trial of the officers led by Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim. Lim was sacked and placed under restriction on February 24, hours before he was to lead his men in joining the anti-Arroyo protest rallies at the Edsa Shrine and subsequently withdraw support from the President. Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon on Tuesday forwarded to the office of AFP chief Gen. Generoso Senga his recommendation to try Lim and 19 cohorts for violating several provisions of the Articles of War. Thirty-nine other officers and 37 enlisted personnel being linked to the plot have been investigated. Army spokesman Maj. Bartolome Bacarro said it would be up to the Army leadership to decide what actions would be taken against the 76. “General Senga will order a review on the Esperon recommendation through the Inspector General and Lopez will determine if there is basis for legal action," Honrado said. He said, if Lopez finds reason to indict the group, he would recommend to Senga to order the office of the Judge Advocate General to conduct a pre-trial investigation, preparatory to the conduct of court martial proceedings. If the office of the Judge Advocate General establishes prima facie case to proceed with the court martial, it would recommend to Senga the convening of a general court martial. When asked if Senga has already asked Lopez to start the review, Honrado said: “I don’t know if the chief of staff has already issued the order, I cannot tell you. I cannot tell the stage of the review but that is the process," he said. Honrado assured that the military establishment would be acting on the case expeditiously. The Philippine Marines, particularly vice commandant Brig. Gen. Romeo Abayan, is conducting a parallel investigation on some of its officers, led by Col. Ariel Querubin, for their role in the planned power grab. Querubin was relieved as commander of the 1st Marine Brigade only on February 28, two days after he led scores of Marine officers and men in protesting the relief of then commandant, Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda. AFP public information office chief Col. Tristan Kison said incident at the Marine headquarters appeared to be connected with the planned power grab, noting that Querubin called for a “people power" during the six-hour standoff. –GMANews.TV