BY VICTOR REYES
NINE mutiny leaders granted pardon by
President Arroyo were released yesterday by the Army on the
order of a Makati court that handled their coup d’état case.
The nine signed a "Joint Acceptance of
Conditional Pardon" before their release, according to Army
spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner.
The conditions for the pardon are permanent
and perpetual disqualification from military service and that
"each shall not commit any crime or felony or participate in a
coup d’état or other forms of military adventurism," according
to General Order No. 10 dated May 12.
The President, who announced the grant of
pardon on the same day, said the sentence imposed on them by a
Makati court "shall again be in full force and effect" if the
officers violate any of the conditions.
Captains Gerardo Gambala and Milo
Maestrecampo, two core leaders of the July 2003 Oakwood
mutiny, had been sentenced by the Makati court to life
imprisonment.
Sentenced to six to 12 years in jail were
Captains Albert Baloloy, John Andres, Laurence Luis Somera and
Alvin Ebreo, and 1st Lt. Florentino Somera and Cleo Dongga-As
and 2Lt. Kristopher Bryan Yasay.
The nine appealed for pardon after their
sentences were handed down last month following a change of
plea to guilty.
Brawner said the officers underwent medical
and physical check-up before they were released from the
Army’s Custodial Management Unit in Fort Bonifacio at around
11:30 a.m.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado said he
intends to see the officers when they have "settled down."
"They served as my cadets, I trained them
so I want to talk to them… they can come to me anytime. We’ll
talk and I will also ask them how I could be of help to them,"
said Ibrado, who assumed the Army’s top post Wednesday.
