Oakwood mutiny
Encyclopedia
The Oakwood mutiny occurred in the Philippines
on July 27, 2003. A group of 321 armed soldiers who called themselves "Bagong Katipuneros" (Filipino
: New Katipuneros) led by Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala and LtSG. Antonio Trillanes IV
of the Philippine Navy
took over the Oakwood Premier Ayala Center (now Ascott Makati) serviced apartment tower in Makati City
to show the Filipino people
the alleged corruption of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
administration. They also stated that they saw signs suggesting that the President was going to declare martial law
.
The group was dubbed "Magdalo" by the press, in a reference to the insignia they adopted during the incident—the perceived flag of the Magdalo
faction of the Katipunan
during the Philippine Revolution
. Sources conflict on whether the eight-rayed-sun version of the flag was used by the Magdalo faction, the sixteen-rayed-sun version of the flag was used by the Magdiwang
faction, or vice-versa.
, the incidents leading to the mutiny were not spontaneous, but a mere alternative plan to an overarching plot of an overthrow of the government.
Contrary to the statement made by Trillanes before the Fact Finding Commission that the takeover of Oakwood by the Magdalo Group was unplanned and spontaneous, the facts gathered by the Commission show that extensive planning and preparations for several months had preceded the events of July 27. There was the holding of gripe sessions among soldiers sought to be recruited, the distribution and discussion of copies of the "National Recovery Program" (NRP) of Senator Gregorio Honasan and a document entitled “The Last Revolution”, bloodletting meetings and taking of an oath of loyalty by the recruits, the purchase of flags, armbands, uniforms, backpacks, and other rebel paraphernalia, and telecommunications equipment and vehicles, and so on.
From July to December 2002, rumors had been spreading that some military personnel were inquiring about the grievances of members of the armed forces. Talks about recruitment from the ranks of the discontented and potential rebels in the military were heard from former members of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement
(RAM) and junior officers in the military. These reports were relayed to
BGen. Victor Corpus. It was later verified that a series of secret meetings among junior officers in the military had taken place in various parts of the country, in Metro Manila, Central Luzon
, and Mindanao
.
A bloodletting ritual took place on June 4, 2003 in a house in San Juan, Metro Manila
. Honasan allegedly presided over this occasion with junior officers of the AFP. At this meeting, Honasan discussed the NRP which sets forth his platform of Government, and the document entitled “The Last Revolution” which emphasizes that the only means to achieve that platform or vision is through the use of force, violence, or armed struggle because incumbent officials will not give up their positions voluntarily. The bloodletting rite was administered to those who agreed to be part of the Magdalo group. To carry out the bloodletting rite, he provided special knives and showed the participants how to inscribe the letter “ I” (or “K” in the old Tagalog alphabet) under their left upper arms. It was during this meeting that Major Perfecto A. Ragil, a member of the AFP Communications Electronics Information Service detailed in Malacañang Palace was tasked by Alejano, a member of Philippine Military Academy
(PMA) ’ 95, to switch off the Malacañang Palace’s telephone system on “D-day.”
The gripe sessions progressed to a recruitment process. Two meetings were held in Metro Manila, one in Robinson’ s Galleria Suites in Mandaluyong City
on June 4, 2003 and another in an old house in San Juan on June 12, 2003. A photograph taken in one of these meetings, which was released to the press by the Presidential Security Group
(PSG), shows Trillanes and a person who appears to be Honasan standing before the Philippine flag and a flag or streamer with the Magdalo countersign.
In the June 12 meeting in San Juan, the following topics were discussed: the peace and order situation, the national economy, the alleged illegitimacy of the Arroyo administration, the Estrada
plunder case, the NRP, the need to rectify the errors brought about by EDSA 2, and the contents of a document entitled “The Last Revolution” . To implement “The Last Revolution” the junior officers took their oath of loyalty as “New Filipino Heroes” in this and other similar meetings.
Based on intelligence reports, two documents of dubious origin were distributed during the meeting in San Juan. These documents were “designed to pollute the minds of the junior officers.” The first is a supposed Memorandum of Instructions addressed to the Secretary of National Defense dated February 11, 2003, directing the full implementation of “Oplan Greenbase.” The document, purportedly signed by the President, contains a plan to capture Hashim Salamat dead or alive and to occupy the Buliok Complex at the Liguasan Marsh
area in North Cotabato. Secretary Eduardo Ermita
of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) purportedly signed the other document entitled “The President’ s Four-Point Policy Framework in Addressing the Southern Philippines Secessionist/MILF
Problem," allegedly pursuant to the February 11 Presidential Memorandum of Instructions. This latter document purports to show that "there is apparently a plan by the government to hold the MILF responsible for AFP-backed bombings in urban areas in Mindanao." President Arroyo denied having issued the first memorandum, and Ermita denounced the second document as being spurious and fabricated.
The meeting on the night of June 12 was reportedly attended by top RAM officers including Honasan and retired Navy Capt. Felix Turingan, and the rebel leaders Trillanes, Gambala, and other junior officers. The group planned to attack high impact targets such
as Malacañang Palace, Ninoy Aquino International Airport
, Fort Bonifacio
, Camp Crame
, Villamor Air Base, Camp Aguinaldo
, and all television and radio stations in Metro Manila.
The plotters underwent the ritual earlier described as bloodletting, which they termed “dinuguan.” Apart from the gripe sessions and bloodletting rites, the Magdalo group’s preparations included the acquisition of rebel paraphernalia. On June 4, 2003, a male
customer went to the International Flag House (IFH) in Manila and placed a job order for one hundred (100) pieces each of Philippine flags and Bonifacio flags (i.e., displaying the Magdalo symbol). He deposited one thousand pesos (P1,000.00) for the job order, the total cost of which was twenty-four thousand pesos (P24,000.00). The customer wrote his name on Job Order 2186 as Armand Pontejos and his telephone number as 456-3222. Subsequent additional orders were placed for more flags, which orders raised the total cost
to forty-five thousand pesos (P45,000.00). The customer was later identified as Navy Ensign Armand Pontejos, PMA ‘00, one of the rebel soldiers who went to Oakwood.
Another rebel soldier who went to Oakwood was Navy Lt Manuel Cabochan, of PMA ‘95 who bought forty-nine (49) sets of battle dress attire (BDA) uniforms, t-shirts, and combat boots worth one hundred eight thousand seven hundred and eighty pesos (P108,780.00) on
June 30, 2003.
There is evidence the Magdalo group also acquired vehicles apparently to transport troops to target areas. On July 23, five (presumably second hand) Hyundai
Aero buses were purchased for two million one hundred thousand pesos (P2.10 million) in cash
by Francisco Dimaculangan and Isidro Samaco from a company named Car Option Sales, Inc. One bus was later found in Oakwood while another was abandoned in Binakayan, Cavite
. There is also evidence that some communications equipment used by the rebel soldiers were of the same specifications as those proposed to be acquired under the AFP Modernization Plan. It was established that such equipment was not taken from any known or existing inventory of the AFP.
The Magdalo group, it appears, targeted Oakwood as the site for the execution of "Plan Charlie." On July 19, Gambala checked in at Oakwood under the name of George Uy, coincidentally the same name as Southcom Admiral George Uy. A cash deposit of forty-eight thousand eight hundred pesos (P48,800.00) for room rental from July 19 to 28, 2003 was paid by a certain Tina Uy Angeles who made the reservation.
had been monitored upon validation of the information that there was restiveness among junior AFP officers.
Having validated the coup rumors and considering the troop movements, the Government took a number of pre-emptive measures. It was fortuitous that these rumors and troop movements materialized just prior to the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) scheduled for delivery on July 28. In connection with the SONA, the Government was already taking measures to ensure the security of the President
and the Government. On July 10, the National Security Council
(NSC) had requested the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
(NICA) to host a “ small group” meeting of the Special Monitoring Committee Alpha (SMC Alpha), which was organized to ensure security during the SONA, together with the major service intelligence chiefs of the AFP and counter-intelligence specialists.
SMC Alpha is composed of representatives from various intelligence bodies, and is mandated to monitor domestic threats, particularly destabilization plots against the Government, and to recommend appropriate counterintelligence measures. Its task is to prevent mass mobilizations from turning into a situation similar to the attempted siege of Malacañang Palace on May 1, 2001 by the supporters of former President Joseph Estrada
.
At the SMC Alpha meeting held on July 11, the details of the recruitment by the Magdalo group were discussed and those involved were identified. On the same day, NICA Director General Cesar Garcia
reported to National Security Adviser Roilo Golez
on the ongoing recruitment activities in the AFP by certain junior officers. Subsequently, SMC Alpha submitted a report from various intelligence sources that the plot being watched involved plans to temporarily reinstate deposed President Estrada.
On July 12, the intelligence group informed the President about persistent reports of rebel recruitment activities in the AFP and the Philippine National Police
(PNP), particularly in Mindanao, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila. The Deputy Chief of Staff
for Intelligence (J2), MGen. Pedro Cabuay
, presented a summary of what was taken up at NICA the previous day. Considering its highly sensitive nature, the information was kept within a small group. Apart from the top officers of the AFP and the PNP, only a small number of Cabinet members attended. Recruitment efforts were noted to be most intense in the First Scout Rangers
and Special Forces Regiment
of the Special Operations Command
, the Philippine Navy (SWAG), Fort Bonifacio
Units, the Philippine Army
’s Light Armor Brigade (LABDE) and the Anti-Crime Task Force (ACTAF). Most of those who were approached were junior officers from the PMA
’95 up to ’99. Considering the situation as having developed into a crisis, the President immediately designated Golez as crisis manager. An action plan was approved which consisted of pre-emptive measures employing persuasion efforts on the one hand, and cracking down on the suspected plotters should they commit any overt illegal acts, on the other.
Recruitment activities by suspected rebels were again reported during the July 14 meeting of the Cabinet Oversight Committee – Internal Security (COC-IS). The meeting discussed threats to SONA and the concomitant security preparations. At this time, the
Government had not yet established concrete links between the recruitment of military officers as rebels and the anti-government mass actions mobilized for the SONA. In the meeting of SMC Alpha on July 15, the recruitment had been reported as led by a covert
fraternity called the “New Filipino Heroes” who were advocating the adoption of the NRP of Honasan. Plans of the groups to rescue and release ex-President Estrada from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center
(VMMC) and to take over radio and TV stations
were likewise revealed. Another meeting by the SMC Alpha took place on July 18 to ensure that the action plans agreed upon were already in place and being implemented.
Having received reports about the troop movements, PNP Chief, Director General Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr.
issued a directive to all field commanders to coordinate with AFP units and investigate any unauthorized movements and other groupings. He also ordered all PNP personnel to be accounted for, and declared a full alert status for the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame
, effective 6:00 pm on July 22, 2003. There was also an order to reinforce the guards at Camp Crame.
It further appears that the intelligence community had been receiving reports that Honasan had been holding sessions with the members of the Magdalo group in Metro Manila and Sangley Point
, Cavite
. Information on these sessions was shared during the preparation for the President’ s SONA. At the meeting on July 23, the SMC Alpha discussed plans on how to counter the likely staging of mass actions by anti-government groups at the Batasang Pambansa Complex
during the SONA. At this meeting, the efforts at recruitment of junior officers in the AFP and the PNP in Mindanao
were reported. The February 11 Memorandum of Instructions to the DND
Secretary purportedly issued by the President and the “Oplan Greenbase” attributed to Ermita were reported to have been disseminated to bolster the recruitment effort.
Troop movements actually occurred two days before the Oakwood incident. Some forty-seven (47) marines, carrying firearms were sighted coming from Ternate, Cavite
. In the early morning of July 25, 28 Scout Ranger personnel boarded a Cebu Pacific
flight for Manila and were monitored to have proceeded to Virramall Shopping Center
in Greenhills, San Juan. On the same day several Scout Rangers were also reported surveying the Makati business district. Moreover, a group of Scout Rangers and members of the Philippine Marines
boarded Superferry 2 from Zamboanga City
for Manila via Iloilo City
. The troop movement was being monitored and it was decided that the soldiers be met once they arrive in North Harbor
. Upon their arrival, they were in fact met by some officers, including Col. Danilo Lim
of the First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR)
, and were found to have apparently legitimate reasons for coming to Manila. They carried documents showing either they were on rest and recreation or about to undergo training. Despite the coup rumors, Government security forces refrained from taking punitive action against the junior officers at that time as nothing overtly illegal had been committed. Some of them came in BDA uniforms and carried arms and ammunition. Some of them ended up in Oakwood.
Before the Oakwood incident, amid the coup rumors, the President met with officers and men, including Trillanes and some members of PMA ’94 and ’95. On July 10, Navy Lt. Christopher Magdangal, an Aide-de-Camp
to the President and a member
of PMA ’95, called his classmate Trillanes to ask him about the veracity of reports that the latter was a leader of a rebel group moving to destabilize the Government. Trillanes said he was surprised to hear such report and later confided to Magdangal, after several exchanges of text and cellular phone messages, that he was in fact receiving death threats over the phone. Trillanes then asked Magdangal if he could see the President in Malacañang on July 13 to clarify the issue with her.
Trillanes, who would later act as spokesman of the Magdalo group, met with two members of the PSG
, Col. Delfin Bangit
and Magdangal in the early morning of July 13. They talked for nearly four hours from 3:00 am onwards. The two officers were present when Trillanes met with the President at 7:00 am of the same day. During the meeting with President Arroyo, Trillanes brought up the problem of corruption as
discussed in the two term papers which he submitted for his masters program at the University of the Philippines
’ National College of Public Administration and Governance
. He later alleged that the President did not give him a chance to discuss the
papers and instead scolded him. The President allegedly ordered the PSG officers to parade him before the media to give him a lesson and called the Flag Officer-in-Command (FOIC), Vice Admiral Ernesto de Leon, to detain him at the Naval Intelligence and Security Force (NISF) in Fort Bonifacio. In this connection, Magdangal, testified that, to the contrary, the conversation between the President and Trillanes was cordial. The President’s parting shot was “Trillanes, you are a young, very bright and very idealistic officer. Huwag mong gayahin si Honasan at si Cardeño.” The meeting lasted for about an hour.
In the evening of July 23, 2003, about one hundred (100) members of PMA ’94 and ’95 had dinner and a “ photo opportunity” with the President in Malacañang Palace. A few days before the dinner, Chief of Staff, AFP (CSAFP) General Narciso Abaya held separate meetings with the officers of the two classes. He was informed of their sentiments, particularly that they were being unjustly dragged into the alleged plan for a rebellion. Through the efforts of their classmates in the PSG and Abaya, the dinner with the President took place. Members of PMA ‘94 and ’95 were invited to the occasion for “pure socializing” through text messages that originated from Magdangal. The class officers, expecting to have a “ dialogue” with the President that night regarding the issues in the AFP that they would like to raise, got frustrated as all Air Force Capt. Segundino Orfiano was able to say after the dinner, when the President briefly asked about the coup issue, was “…we are against corruption." Likewise, based on the remarks made on television immediately after the dinner, PMA ‘94 class president Army Capt. Ma. Noel Tolentino said, “we assured her that we are still… we are loyal to her”.
The President also attended on July 24 the turn-over of the command at the FSRR in Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan
, Bulacan
as part of the effort to neutralize the coup threat. The President took this opportunity to visit with the members of the FSRR, which at that time was reported to have been significantly infiltrated by suspected rebels. She also visited on July 25 the Marine Training Camp in Ternate, Cavite, Cavite
, the PAF
15th Strike Wing, and the SWAG in Sangley Point, Cavite
. Abaya made rounds of other units
where restiveness had been reported.
In the early morning of July 26, the 10 suspected leaders declared unaccounted for by the AFP
were identified as Trillanes, Layug, Gambala, Maestrecampo, and Army officers Capt. Lawrence Louis Somera, Capt. Albert Baloloy, 1st Lt. Lawrence San Juan, 1st Lt. Florentino Somera, 1st Lt. Jose Enrico Demetrio Dingle, and 1st Lt. Waren Lee Dagupon. At 5:00 am, emergency meetings were held by Abaya, Golez, and Garcia with the general staff and senior officers to discuss the reports on the missing officers and the reported destabilization plot.
At around 10:00 am, President Arroyo and Corpuz met with a group of NGOs at the EDSA Shrine. Corpuz announced that certain units from Tanay were missing.
At 2:00 pm, a meeting was held by the same group with House Speaker Jose de Venecia and the House Committee Chairman for Defense and Security, Prospero Pichay
, to discuss the matter.
At 5:00 pm of July 26, 2003, the President convened a full cabinet meeting where Cabuay presented a briefing on the looming coup plot. Thereafter, the President publicly announced for the first time at 8:19 pm in the media that “a small band of rogue junior officers and soldiers had deserted their posts and illegally brought weapons with them.” The security plan of action was immediately set in motion. Task Force Libra (TF Libra), the counter-coup composite unit of the AFP, was set in motion. The action forces were immediately dispatched in anticipation of the rumored coup
.
A week earlier, a meeting of the leaders of “anti-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo” (PGMA) groups allegedly to discuss pre-SONA activities at the Danarra Hotel in Quezon City was monitored by Government intelligence. On July 25, 2003, intelligence reports were received that some so-called “anti-PGMA” groups like the
People’s Movement Against Poverty (PMAP) and DEMOKRASYA had been instructed to assemble at the EDSA Shrine
at 4:00 pm on July 27 and hold an overnight vigil there before proceeding to the Batasan area to hold anti-government rallies during the SONA. Invitations by the “ anti-PGMA” group members to civilians to join the coup to be staged on July 27 were made through cellphone text messages. Among those who were recruited were past and present members of the DIABLO and Philippine Guardians Brotherhood, Inc. (PGBI” ). Police Chief Inspector Leborio Jangao, one of the founding members of PGBI, stated he received cellphone text messages on July 26 informing him that a coup d’etat would be staged on July 27. At this time the crime disturbance personnel of the PNP
had already been instructed to secure the EDSA Shrine, the Connecticut Street area, and the Ortigas Avenue Extension area from rallyists. There
were reports the EDSA Shrine would be the target where another EDSA 2 or EDSA 3 would be staged.
Early on Friday night of July 25, the 80th Infantry Battalion based in Camp Capinpin was ordered to augment TF Libra. The mission of the TF Libra included the securing of vital communications installations such as radio and TV stations. It assisted
the PNP in securing the EDSA Shrine and containing civilian groups in the area. The first elements of the joint TF Libra arrived in Camp Aguinaldo at about 11:00 pm
For his part, Ebdane
declared a full alert status nationwide, effective 12 noon on July 26, as a contingency measure. All PNP field commanders were directed to secure vital installations and key establishments.
At around 2:00 pm of July 26, the Mandaluyong City
police started the deployment of at least one hundred forty (140) personnel at the Poveda, Connecticut, and Ortigas areas. Later at 3:00 pm, intelligence reports indicated a change of instructions to the rallyists manning the EDSA Shrine. The anti-government groups were advised to assemble at the EDSA Shrine at 6:00 am on July 27 instead.
At about 7:00 pm of July 26, MGen. Efren L. Abu, Vice Commander PA
and Commander of TF Libra, visited the 80th Infantry Battalion. By this time, TF Libra was already at its full strength. An hour later, President Arroyo went on air and ordered the arrest of the junior officers who had deserted their posts. A conference presided over by Abaya was held at about 9:00 pm to assess the intelligence situation. Abu gave an update on the forces composition of TF Libra.
The PNP report on troop movement by Marines from Ternate, Cavite to the North or to Manila was confirmed by Cavite PNP Provincial Director Police Senior Superintendent Roberto L. Rosales and Marine Commandant, MGen. Emmanuel Teodosio. The advancing Marines were able to avoid checkpoints on their way to Makati by evasive movements. The PAF civil disturbance contingent earlier deployed at the Batasan area and the PN contingent at the VMMC, both in Quezon City, were then redeployed to the Makati area. An additional one hundred (100) Special Action Force
(SAF) personnel of the PNP were then sent to secure the Batasan complex. In addition, one (1) PA platoon and a PNP contingent reinforced the security forces of TV stations and telecommunications facilities.
Also on July 26, Naval Base personnel in Cavite received a report that three suspicious-looking vehicles were parked at the back of the Naval Sea Systems Command Armory in Fort San Felipe, Cavite City
.
Following the order issued by President Arroyo to the AFP and PNP for the arrest of the Magdalo officers at around 8 pm and the conference called by Abaya to assess the intelligence reports at 9 pm, operatives of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detention Group (CIDG) were dispatched to Dasmariñas Village
, Makati City
at around 10:00 pm that same night of July 26 to verify the presence of heavily armed men in military uniform reported by security guards of the Dasmariñas Village. National Bureau of Investigation
(NBI) agents were also dispatched to monitor this development.
The Oakwood siege had been facilitated by earlier activities as seen in the foregoing account. The antecedents show that the rebellion was not a spontaneous phenomenon as extensive preparations and mobilization activities were undertaken prior to the occupation and control of the Oakwood Apartments.
The rebels took over Oakwood at past 1:00 am of July 27. Over three hundred (300) soldiers quietly entered the premises of Ayala Center in several groups. The soldiers disarmed the security guards and took over Oakwood. They planted claymore mines around the building and in the vicinity. Snipers were posted at the Oakwood roof
deck.
Two government command groups were immediately dispatched after reports of the occupation of Oakwood, and of movement of the Marine contingent from Ternate towards Camp Aguinaldo were confirmed. The Crisis Management Staff was formed at the Command Operation Center in Camp Crame, and the Advanced Command Post of the PNP was established behind the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati. Marines and Army officers later joined the PNP at the Makati post, and the Southern Police District Director, Police Chief Superintendent Jose Gutierrez
, was designated as the ground commander. At around 2:00 am on July 27, Abu was informed by the Joint Operation Center in Camp Aguinaldo about the presence of troops moving towards Metro Manila. Most of these troops were coming from Ternate, Cavite. At this time, the Marines under Teodosio were already poised to stop the troops. They were pre-positioned around the car park behind Oakwood.
At about the same time, the security guards of Dasmariñas Village in Makati confirmed the presence of heavily armed men in full battle gear marching from Paraiso Street to the EDSA-Pasay Road gate of the village. The armed soldiers, wearing red armbands, forced the security guards to open the gate. They were seen crossing EDSA and going towards the direction of Ayala Center
, Makati City. The CIDG-NBI composite team confirmed that the rebel soldiers came from a house at 2177 Paraiso Street, Dasmariñas Village, owned by Ramon Cardenas who was residing at 1346 Palm Avenue in the same village. At 4:00 am TF Ayala of the Marine Corps had been activated and had occupied positions with infantry and armor, encircling the Ayala Center Complex.
Between 4 and 5 am, the rebel soldiers were able to make arrangements to go on air to issue a public statement. The ABS-CBN News (ANC) network showed a live TV coverage of the prepared statement read by Gambala. In the statement, the rebels declared their withdrawal of support from the chain of command and presented their grievances against the Arroyo government. They demanded the resignation of the Arroyo administration leaders and endorsed the NRP as the solution to the problems of the Philippines.
Also at dawn, Alex Benasin, a resident of the Baseco compound at the Port Area
, was busy recruiting residents of the compound to go to Oakwood for a consideration of three hundred pesos (P300.00) each. Later, at about 8:30 am, members of the PGBI carrying banners of the NRP were seen in the Makati area but they were prevented by the PNP from reaching and camping in the vicinity of Oakwood. Pro-Estrada rallyists headed towards the People Power Monument on EDSA were also dispersed by police stationed in the area. It was reported that more pro-Estrada followers actively recruited people from various Metro Manila locations to regroup in the EDSA Shrine. Members of
the PMAP marched in the direction of Makati City from Greenhills.
After 9:00 am of July 27, President Arroyo gave the rebel soldiers a 5:00 pm deadline to give up their positions peacefully and return to barracks. At around 1:00 pm, she declared the existence of a “State of Rebellion
” and issued an order to use reasonable force, and pay due regard to constitutional rights, in putting down the rebellion. The rebel soldiers held another public airing of their grievances at around 4:20 pm By that time, 25 rebel soldiers had surrendered to the TF Libra in two batches, as revealed by the Government command stationed outside of Oakwood. The announcement of the surrender was downplayed by the Magdalo group as part of a “psywar
” operation on the part of the Government, during an ambush interview of Trillanes.
During the media briefing in the afternoon, other rebel officers besides the known leaders expressed their grievances against the Government while the press conference was going on. Trillanes, in a side interview by a news reporter, stated that they were willing to negotiate.
Teodosio arranged for the rebels’ close family members to go to Oakwood and help persuade members of the rebel group to give up their plans.
Shortly before the 5:00 pm deadline, the President announced an extension of the deadline to 7:00 pm It was during the two-hour reprieve that negotiations with various personalities and groups of negotiators prospered. As the deadline approached, negotiations between the rebel soldiers and the Government team led by the Government chief negotiator, Ambassador Roy A. Cimatu, effectively extended the deadline indefinitely. An agreement was forged between the two groups at 9:30 pm At 10:00 pm, President Arroyo announced that the occupation of Oakwood was over. The rebels agreed to return to barracks and were out of the Oakwood premises by 11:00 pm
More than a year after the mutiny, its leaders apologized to the President for the failed military rebellion. Arroyo accepted the apology, but ruled out immediate pardon and said their trial would proceed. The officers face sentences up to life in prison for the mutiny. Trillanes ran for a senatorial position during the 2007 Philippine Elections, using Magdalo paraphernalia.
In November 2004, President Arroyo ordered 133 of the 321 soldiers freed, saying they were deceived by their officers into joining the mutiny. But insiders say that this was made possible through back-channel
negotiations in the wake of the Magdalo leaders' apology.
, (PN)M one of the alleged leaders, escaped from custody and heavy guard after a hearing at the Regional Trial Court of Makati. He later issued a statement saying that after keeping his silence for over two years, he was leaving to "join the fight for a credible government." He stated that he knew that such actions would bear no benefit for himself, that he would never run for public office, while noting that the events since 2003 have proven him right. Shortly after his escape, four others of his co-accused, led by Army Lt. Lawrence San Juan also escaped from their detention in Fort Bonifacio, Makati City.
While outside, Capt. Faeldon called for civil disobedience and set up an organization, Pilipino.org. His website, www.pilipino.org.ph, received over a million hits in the days following his escape. He also had himself videotaped and photographed inside various military camps throughout the Philippines posting the videos and pictures on his website, saying that:
“ Unless those corrupt generals man the gates themselves, no one can stop me from going in and out of these camps. The enlisted men and officers of the military and the police who remain loyal to the people will not turn me in.”
He was recaptured on January 27, 2006, in Mandaluyong City.
He was placed in solitary confinement in the detention center of the Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines, in Camp Aguinaldo. His salary was also suspended indefinitely. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Philippine Marine Brig in Fort Bonifacio where he was incarecrated until he disappeared during the Manila Peninsula mutiny.
s on charges of "conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman" – (Article 96, Articles of War) at a hearing at Camp Aguinaldo
. They were Army
Captains Gerardo Gambala, Milo Maestrocampo, Lawrence Luis San Juan, Albert Baloloy, John Andres, Florentino Somera and Alvin Ebreo, and First Lieutenant
s Cleao Donga-as, Audie Tocloy, Von Rio Tayab, Rex Bolo and Brian Yasay.
The verdict on the twelve officers, along with 17 others, will be released on the next scheduled hearing. The court will likely impose the penalty of “dishonorable discharge
” on the junior officers. Five other junior officers, including former Lt/SG Grade Antonio Trillanes IV
, who won a seat in the Senate
in the 2007 Philippine mid-term elections, have not indicated any intention to enter into a plea bargaining agreement
with the court. Trillanes, Gambala and Maestrecampo are members of the Philippine Military Academy
Class of 1995.
On August 22, 2007, twelve of the accused were meted the sentence of dishonorable discharge by a military court under Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Legaspi. Sentenced were Army Captains Milo Maestrecampo, Gerardo Gambala, Albert Baloloy, Alvin Ebreo, Lawrence Somera, and John Andres; and First Lieutenants Rex Bolo, Von Rio Tayab, Audie Tocloy, Cleo Donga-as, Florentino Somera, and Brian Yasay. The sentence will take effect once approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
.
On April 29, 2008, the military tribunal, presided by Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Legaspi, sentenced 5 Magdalo soldiers to be discharged from service for pleading guilty for violation of Articles of War
96 (conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman) for their participation in the July 27, 2003 Oakwood mutiny. Army 1st Lieutenants Lawrence San Juan, Sonny Bumidang, and Nathaniel Rabonza werer discharged from the military service. Also sentenced were 1Lt. Jason Panaligan and 2Lt. Christopher Orogan, to 7 years and 6 months imprisonment for violating AW 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline
). The court's decision is still subject to the approval of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
11 junior officers, led by Navy Lt. Senior Grade James Layug and Marine Capt. Gary Alejano, on June 10, 2008 altered their pleas to guilty to a general court martial for violations of the Articles of War
concerning the Oakwood (now Ascott hotel) mutiny. Accordingly, just 6 officers remain charged before the court martial, including Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV
, and fugitive Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon
.
on May 12, 2008 approved the conditional pardon for 9 convicted Magdalo soldiers. Captains Milo Maestrecampo and Gerardo Gambala, Albert Baloloy, John Andres, Alvin Ebreo, Laurence Luis Somera, First Lieutenants Florentino Somera and Cleo Donga-as and Second Lieutenant Bryan Yasay, were all released from detention in Fort Bonifacio on May 16, 2008 by newly-installed Army commander Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado per Court release order, and after their signing of the joint sworn acceptance of conditional pardon. On April 8, after plea of guilt, the Makati Regional Trial Court sentenced Gambala and Milo Maestrecampo to reclusion perpetua, while Army Captains Alvin Ebreo, Laurence Louis Somera, Albert Baloloy and John Andres, 1Lt. Florentino Somera, 2Lt. Kristoffer Bryan Yasay and 1Lt. Cleo Dongga were sentenced to prison mayor. On April 11, Army Captain Gerardo Gambala spoke for the 9 Magdalo officers, appealing for presidential pardon.
, one of the accused officers, refused to enter a guilty plea and issued a statement on July 27, 2007, the fourth anniversary of the incident, explaining his decision.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on July 27, 2003. A group of 321 armed soldiers who called themselves "Bagong Katipuneros" (Filipino
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...
: New Katipuneros) led by Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala and LtSG. Antonio Trillanes IV
Antonio Trillanes IV
Antonio "Sonny" Fuentes Trillanes IV is a former Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade and concurrently serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2007....
of the Philippine Navy
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
took over the Oakwood Premier Ayala Center (now Ascott Makati) serviced apartment tower in Makati City
Makati City
The City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
to show the Filipino people
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
the alleged corruption of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
administration. They also stated that they saw signs suggesting that the President was going to declare martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
.
The group was dubbed "Magdalo" by the press, in a reference to the insignia they adopted during the incident—the perceived flag of the Magdalo
Magdalo (Katipunan faction)
The Magdalo faction of the Katipunan was a chapter in Cavite, mostly led by ilustrados of that province.It was named after Mary Magdalene...
faction of the Katipunan
Katipunan
The Katipunan was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish Filipinos in Manila in 1892, whose primary aim was to gain independence from Spain through revolution. The society was initiated by Filipino patriots Andrés Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, and others on the night...
during the Philippine Revolution
Philippine Revolution
The Philippine Revolution , called the "Tagalog War" by the Spanish, was an armed military conflict between the people of the Philippines and the Spanish colonial authorities which resulted in the secession of the Philippine Islands from the Spanish Empire.The Philippine Revolution began in August...
. Sources conflict on whether the eight-rayed-sun version of the flag was used by the Magdalo faction, the sixteen-rayed-sun version of the flag was used by the Magdiwang
Magdiwang Katipunan
The Magdiwang was a chapter of the Katipunan, a Philippine revolutionary organization founded by Filipino rebels in Manila in 1892, with the aim to gain independence from Spain....
faction, or vice-versa.
Background
According to the Fact Finding Commission created by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-ArroyoGloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
, the incidents leading to the mutiny were not spontaneous, but a mere alternative plan to an overarching plot of an overthrow of the government.
Contrary to the statement made by Trillanes before the Fact Finding Commission that the takeover of Oakwood by the Magdalo Group was unplanned and spontaneous, the facts gathered by the Commission show that extensive planning and preparations for several months had preceded the events of July 27. There was the holding of gripe sessions among soldiers sought to be recruited, the distribution and discussion of copies of the "National Recovery Program" (NRP) of Senator Gregorio Honasan and a document entitled “The Last Revolution”, bloodletting meetings and taking of an oath of loyalty by the recruits, the purchase of flags, armbands, uniforms, backpacks, and other rebel paraphernalia, and telecommunications equipment and vehicles, and so on.
From July to December 2002, rumors had been spreading that some military personnel were inquiring about the grievances of members of the armed forces. Talks about recruitment from the ranks of the discontented and potential rebels in the military were heard from former members of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement
Reform the Armed Forces Movement
The Reform the Armed Forces Movement, also referred to by the acronym RAM, is a cabal of officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that attempted to seize power in the Philiipines during the 1980s and 1990s...
(RAM) and junior officers in the military. These reports were relayed to
BGen. Victor Corpus. It was later verified that a series of secret meetings among junior officers in the military had taken place in various parts of the country, in Metro Manila, Central Luzon
Central Luzon
Central Luzon , also known as Region III , is an administrative division or region of the Republic of the Philippines, primarily serve to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plain of the island of Luzon , for administrative convenience...
, and Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
A bloodletting ritual took place on June 4, 2003 in a house in San Juan, Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. Honasan allegedly presided over this occasion with junior officers of the AFP. At this meeting, Honasan discussed the NRP which sets forth his platform of Government, and the document entitled “The Last Revolution” which emphasizes that the only means to achieve that platform or vision is through the use of force, violence, or armed struggle because incumbent officials will not give up their positions voluntarily. The bloodletting rite was administered to those who agreed to be part of the Magdalo group. To carry out the bloodletting rite, he provided special knives and showed the participants how to inscribe the letter “ I” (or “K” in the old Tagalog alphabet) under their left upper arms. It was during this meeting that Major Perfecto A. Ragil, a member of the AFP Communications Electronics Information Service detailed in Malacañang Palace was tasked by Alejano, a member of Philippine Military Academy
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy or PMA, is the Philippine military school for the Armed Forces of the Philippines . PMA was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 1 . PMA is located in Baguio, Benguet province...
(PMA) ’ 95, to switch off the Malacañang Palace’s telephone system on “D-day.”
The gripe sessions progressed to a recruitment process. Two meetings were held in Metro Manila, one in Robinson’ s Galleria Suites in Mandaluyong City
Mandaluyong City
The City of Mandaluyong is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south...
on June 4, 2003 and another in an old house in San Juan on June 12, 2003. A photograph taken in one of these meetings, which was released to the press by the Presidential Security Group
Presidential Security Group
- External links :*...
(PSG), shows Trillanes and a person who appears to be Honasan standing before the Philippine flag and a flag or streamer with the Magdalo countersign.
In the June 12 meeting in San Juan, the following topics were discussed: the peace and order situation, the national economy, the alleged illegitimacy of the Arroyo administration, the Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
plunder case, the NRP, the need to rectify the errors brought about by EDSA 2, and the contents of a document entitled “The Last Revolution” . To implement “The Last Revolution” the junior officers took their oath of loyalty as “New Filipino Heroes” in this and other similar meetings.
Based on intelligence reports, two documents of dubious origin were distributed during the meeting in San Juan. These documents were “designed to pollute the minds of the junior officers.” The first is a supposed Memorandum of Instructions addressed to the Secretary of National Defense dated February 11, 2003, directing the full implementation of “Oplan Greenbase.” The document, purportedly signed by the President, contains a plan to capture Hashim Salamat dead or alive and to occupy the Buliok Complex at the Liguasan Marsh
Liguasan Marsh
Liguasan Marsh is a marsh in the Mindanao River basin in the southern island of Mindanao, Philippines....
area in North Cotabato. Secretary Eduardo Ermita
Eduardo Ermita
Eduardo R. Ermita, was the Executive Secretary of the Philippines, and spokesperson for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was born on July 13, 1935 in Balayan, Batangas. Ermita took his Defense Resource Management Course at Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California, U.S.A...
of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) purportedly signed the other document entitled “The President’ s Four-Point Policy Framework in Addressing the Southern Philippines Secessionist/MILF
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
Problem," allegedly pursuant to the February 11 Presidential Memorandum of Instructions. This latter document purports to show that "there is apparently a plan by the government to hold the MILF responsible for AFP-backed bombings in urban areas in Mindanao." President Arroyo denied having issued the first memorandum, and Ermita denounced the second document as being spurious and fabricated.
The meeting on the night of June 12 was reportedly attended by top RAM officers including Honasan and retired Navy Capt. Felix Turingan, and the rebel leaders Trillanes, Gambala, and other junior officers. The group planned to attack high impact targets such
as Malacañang Palace, Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...
, Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio is a highly urbanized district in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The district is named after the main Philippine Army camp in Metro Manila, Fort Andres Bonifacio, which in turn was named after the famous Philippine revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio...
, Camp Crame
Camp Crame
Camp Crame is the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police and is located in along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City...
, Villamor Air Base, Camp Aguinaldo
Camp Aguinaldo
Camp Aguinaldo is the military headquarters of the Philippine Army and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and is located in Quezon City in the Philippines. It is along Epifanio de los Santos Ave. , in front of Camp Crame, the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police...
, and all television and radio stations in Metro Manila.
The plotters underwent the ritual earlier described as bloodletting, which they termed “dinuguan.” Apart from the gripe sessions and bloodletting rites, the Magdalo group’s preparations included the acquisition of rebel paraphernalia. On June 4, 2003, a male
customer went to the International Flag House (IFH) in Manila and placed a job order for one hundred (100) pieces each of Philippine flags and Bonifacio flags (i.e., displaying the Magdalo symbol). He deposited one thousand pesos (P1,000.00) for the job order, the total cost of which was twenty-four thousand pesos (P24,000.00). The customer wrote his name on Job Order 2186 as Armand Pontejos and his telephone number as 456-3222. Subsequent additional orders were placed for more flags, which orders raised the total cost
to forty-five thousand pesos (P45,000.00). The customer was later identified as Navy Ensign Armand Pontejos, PMA ‘00, one of the rebel soldiers who went to Oakwood.
Another rebel soldier who went to Oakwood was Navy Lt Manuel Cabochan, of PMA ‘95 who bought forty-nine (49) sets of battle dress attire (BDA) uniforms, t-shirts, and combat boots worth one hundred eight thousand seven hundred and eighty pesos (P108,780.00) on
June 30, 2003.
There is evidence the Magdalo group also acquired vehicles apparently to transport troops to target areas. On July 23, five (presumably second hand) Hyundai
Hyundai
Hyundai ) is a global conglomerate company, part of the Korean chaebol, that was founded in South Korea by one of the most famous businessmen in Korean history: Chung Ju-yung...
Aero buses were purchased for two million one hundred thousand pesos (P2.10 million) in cash
by Francisco Dimaculangan and Isidro Samaco from a company named Car Option Sales, Inc. One bus was later found in Oakwood while another was abandoned in Binakayan, Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
. There is also evidence that some communications equipment used by the rebel soldiers were of the same specifications as those proposed to be acquired under the AFP Modernization Plan. It was established that such equipment was not taken from any known or existing inventory of the AFP.
The Magdalo group, it appears, targeted Oakwood as the site for the execution of "Plan Charlie." On July 19, Gambala checked in at Oakwood under the name of George Uy, coincidentally the same name as Southcom Admiral George Uy. A cash deposit of forty-eight thousand eight hundred pesos (P48,800.00) for room rental from July 19 to 28, 2003 was paid by a certain Tina Uy Angeles who made the reservation.
Discovery & Pre-Emption of the Plot
From July 21 to 23, unauthorized troop movements apparently bound for ManilaMetro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
had been monitored upon validation of the information that there was restiveness among junior AFP officers.
Having validated the coup rumors and considering the troop movements, the Government took a number of pre-emptive measures. It was fortuitous that these rumors and troop movements materialized just prior to the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) scheduled for delivery on July 28. In connection with the SONA, the Government was already taking measures to ensure the security of the President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
and the Government. On July 10, the National Security Council
National Security Council (Philippines)
National Security Council is the Philippine President's principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials.-History:Commonwealth Act No...
(NSC) had requested the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
National Intelligence Coordinating Agency
The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency is the primary intelligence gathering and analysis arm of the Philippine government, in charge of carrying out overt, covert, and clandestine intelligence programs...
(NICA) to host a “ small group” meeting of the Special Monitoring Committee Alpha (SMC Alpha), which was organized to ensure security during the SONA, together with the major service intelligence chiefs of the AFP and counter-intelligence specialists.
SMC Alpha is composed of representatives from various intelligence bodies, and is mandated to monitor domestic threats, particularly destabilization plots against the Government, and to recommend appropriate counterintelligence measures. Its task is to prevent mass mobilizations from turning into a situation similar to the attempted siege of Malacañang Palace on May 1, 2001 by the supporters of former President Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
.
At the SMC Alpha meeting held on July 11, the details of the recruitment by the Magdalo group were discussed and those involved were identified. On the same day, NICA Director General Cesar Garcia
Cesar Garcia
Cesar Garcia is the former Director General of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency in the Philippines. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1970....
reported to National Security Adviser Roilo Golez
Roilo Golez
Roilo Golez is a Philippine politician on his sixth term as Member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the Second District of Parañaque City, one of the most industrialized districts of the Philippines...
on the ongoing recruitment activities in the AFP by certain junior officers. Subsequently, SMC Alpha submitted a report from various intelligence sources that the plot being watched involved plans to temporarily reinstate deposed President Estrada.
On July 12, the intelligence group informed the President about persistent reports of rebel recruitment activities in the AFP and the Philippine National Police
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police is the national police force of the Republic of the Philippines. It is both a national and a local police force in that it does provides all law enforcement services throughout the Philippines...
(PNP), particularly in Mindanao, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila. The Deputy Chief of Staff
for Intelligence (J2), MGen. Pedro Cabuay
Pedro Cabuay
Pedro R. Cabuay Jr. is the current Director General of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency in the Philippines. He retired as Lieutenant General in the Armed Forces of the Philippines in 2006 after serving as Commander, Southern Luzon Command. He also served as Chief, Intelligence Service...
, presented a summary of what was taken up at NICA the previous day. Considering its highly sensitive nature, the information was kept within a small group. Apart from the top officers of the AFP and the PNP, only a small number of Cabinet members attended. Recruitment efforts were noted to be most intense in the First Scout Rangers
1st Scout Ranger Regiment
The Scout Rangers, known officially as the First Scout Ranger Regiment, is a Philippine Army Special Operations Command unit, and specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare...
and Special Forces Regiment
1st Special Forces Airborne Regiment (Philippines)
The Special Forces Regiment is an elite Philippine Army unit established in the 1960s by Fidel V. Ramos , primarily trained in both unconventional and psychological warfare....
of the Special Operations Command
Special Operations Command (Philippines)
The Special Operations Command in the Philippine Army is the single command responsible for maintaining the various special forces units operating under the Army's wing.-Re-organization during the 1990s:...
, the Philippine Navy (SWAG), Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio
Fort Bonifacio is a highly urbanized district in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The district is named after the main Philippine Army camp in Metro Manila, Fort Andres Bonifacio, which in turn was named after the famous Philippine revolutionary hero Andres Bonifacio...
Units, the Philippine Army
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
’s Light Armor Brigade (LABDE) and the Anti-Crime Task Force (ACTAF). Most of those who were approached were junior officers from the PMA
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy or PMA, is the Philippine military school for the Armed Forces of the Philippines . PMA was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 1 . PMA is located in Baguio, Benguet province...
’95 up to ’99. Considering the situation as having developed into a crisis, the President immediately designated Golez as crisis manager. An action plan was approved which consisted of pre-emptive measures employing persuasion efforts on the one hand, and cracking down on the suspected plotters should they commit any overt illegal acts, on the other.
Recruitment activities by suspected rebels were again reported during the July 14 meeting of the Cabinet Oversight Committee – Internal Security (COC-IS). The meeting discussed threats to SONA and the concomitant security preparations. At this time, the
Government had not yet established concrete links between the recruitment of military officers as rebels and the anti-government mass actions mobilized for the SONA. In the meeting of SMC Alpha on July 15, the recruitment had been reported as led by a covert
fraternity called the “New Filipino Heroes” who were advocating the adoption of the NRP of Honasan. Plans of the groups to rescue and release ex-President Estrada from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center
Veterans Memorial Medical Center
The Veterans Memorial Medical Center was established in 1955 with full US government assistance under the US Veterans Administration to provide quality hospitalization, medical care and treatment to Filipino veterans as provided by U.S. public law...
(VMMC) and to take over radio and TV stations
were likewise revealed. Another meeting by the SMC Alpha took place on July 18 to ensure that the action plans agreed upon were already in place and being implemented.
Having received reports about the troop movements, PNP Chief, Director General Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr.
Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr.
Hermogenes Edejer Ebdane, Jr. is a Filipino politician and retired General. He is the Current Governor of Zambales. He was the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways from 4 July 2007-2010, his second appointment to the post.He was a member of the Philippine Military Academy class...
issued a directive to all field commanders to coordinate with AFP units and investigate any unauthorized movements and other groupings. He also ordered all PNP personnel to be accounted for, and declared a full alert status for the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame
Camp Crame
Camp Crame is the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police and is located in along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, Quezon City...
, effective 6:00 pm on July 22, 2003. There was also an order to reinforce the guards at Camp Crame.
It further appears that the intelligence community had been receiving reports that Honasan had been holding sessions with the members of the Magdalo group in Metro Manila and Sangley Point
U.S. Naval Station Sangley Point
Naval Station Sangley Point was a communication and hospital facility of the United States Navy which occupied the northern portion of the Cavite City peninsula and is surrounded by Manila Bay, approximately eight miles southwest of Manila, the Philippines. The station was a part of the Cavite...
, Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
. Information on these sessions was shared during the preparation for the President’ s SONA. At the meeting on July 23, the SMC Alpha discussed plans on how to counter the likely staging of mass actions by anti-government groups at the Batasang Pambansa Complex
Batasang Pambansa Complex
The Batasang Pambansa Complex is the headquarters of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located at Batasan Road, Batasan Hills, Quezon City....
during the SONA. At this meeting, the efforts at recruitment of junior officers in the AFP and the PNP in Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
were reported. The February 11 Memorandum of Instructions to the DND
Department of National Defense (Philippines)
The Department of National Defense is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for guarding against external and internal threats to peace and security in the country...
Secretary purportedly issued by the President and the “Oplan Greenbase” attributed to Ermita were reported to have been disseminated to bolster the recruitment effort.
Troop movements actually occurred two days before the Oakwood incident. Some forty-seven (47) marines, carrying firearms were sighted coming from Ternate, Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
. In the early morning of July 25, 28 Scout Ranger personnel boarded a Cebu Pacific
Cebu Pacific
Cebu Air, Inc., operating as Cebu Pacific Air, is based on the grounds of Ninoy Aquino International Airport , Pasay City, Metro Manila, the Philippines. It offers scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations...
flight for Manila and were monitored to have proceeded to Virramall Shopping Center
Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills Shopping Center is a shopping centre in the city of San Juan in the Philippines. It has over 2,000 stores, and espouses an 'indoor-outdoor' theme, with the Shopping Center having the appearance of several distinct buildings that are all interconnected through pathways and bridges. It...
in Greenhills, San Juan. On the same day several Scout Rangers were also reported surveying the Makati business district. Moreover, a group of Scout Rangers and members of the Philippine Marines
Philippine Marine Corps
The Philippine Marine Corps is the marine corps of the Philippines, and is part of the Philippine Navy.- History :...
boarded Superferry 2 from Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
for Manila via Iloilo City
Iloilo City
The City of Iloilo is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo province. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area...
. The troop movement was being monitored and it was decided that the soldiers be met once they arrive in North Harbor
Port of Manila
The Port of Manila is the largest seaport in the Philippines, and is the premier international shipping gateway to the country. It is located in the vicinity of Manila Bay.-Port Area:...
. Upon their arrival, they were in fact met by some officers, including Col. Danilo Lim
Danilo Lim
Danilo Lim is a retired Filipino brigadier general. He has been incarcerated at the Camp Crame in Quezon City from 2006 to 2010 for rebellion charges and attempted coup d'état...
of the First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR)
1st Scout Ranger Regiment
The Scout Rangers, known officially as the First Scout Ranger Regiment, is a Philippine Army Special Operations Command unit, and specializes in anti-guerrilla warfare...
, and were found to have apparently legitimate reasons for coming to Manila. They carried documents showing either they were on rest and recreation or about to undergo training. Despite the coup rumors, Government security forces refrained from taking punitive action against the junior officers at that time as nothing overtly illegal had been committed. Some of them came in BDA uniforms and carried arms and ammunition. Some of them ended up in Oakwood.
Before the Oakwood incident, amid the coup rumors, the President met with officers and men, including Trillanes and some members of PMA ’94 and ’95. On July 10, Navy Lt. Christopher Magdangal, an Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the President and a member
of PMA ’95, called his classmate Trillanes to ask him about the veracity of reports that the latter was a leader of a rebel group moving to destabilize the Government. Trillanes said he was surprised to hear such report and later confided to Magdangal, after several exchanges of text and cellular phone messages, that he was in fact receiving death threats over the phone. Trillanes then asked Magdangal if he could see the President in Malacañang on July 13 to clarify the issue with her.
Trillanes, who would later act as spokesman of the Magdalo group, met with two members of the PSG
Presidential Security Group
- External links :*...
, Col. Delfin Bangit
Delfin N. Bangit
Gen. Delfin N. Bangit was the Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff for four months in 2010. He is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy.- Military Career :Graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Makatarungan Class 1978...
and Magdangal in the early morning of July 13. They talked for nearly four hours from 3:00 am onwards. The two officers were present when Trillanes met with the President at 7:00 am of the same day. During the meeting with President Arroyo, Trillanes brought up the problem of corruption as
discussed in the two term papers which he submitted for his masters program at the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
’ National College of Public Administration and Governance
National College of Public Administration and Governance
The National College of Public Administration and Governance is a degree-granting unit of the University of the Philippines Diliman.Its services include professional and policy advice, and technical assistance to local, national and international institutions...
. He later alleged that the President did not give him a chance to discuss the
papers and instead scolded him. The President allegedly ordered the PSG officers to parade him before the media to give him a lesson and called the Flag Officer-in-Command (FOIC), Vice Admiral Ernesto de Leon, to detain him at the Naval Intelligence and Security Force (NISF) in Fort Bonifacio. In this connection, Magdangal, testified that, to the contrary, the conversation between the President and Trillanes was cordial. The President’s parting shot was “Trillanes, you are a young, very bright and very idealistic officer. Huwag mong gayahin si Honasan at si Cardeño.” The meeting lasted for about an hour.
In the evening of July 23, 2003, about one hundred (100) members of PMA ’94 and ’95 had dinner and a “ photo opportunity” with the President in Malacañang Palace. A few days before the dinner, Chief of Staff, AFP (CSAFP) General Narciso Abaya held separate meetings with the officers of the two classes. He was informed of their sentiments, particularly that they were being unjustly dragged into the alleged plan for a rebellion. Through the efforts of their classmates in the PSG and Abaya, the dinner with the President took place. Members of PMA ‘94 and ’95 were invited to the occasion for “pure socializing” through text messages that originated from Magdangal. The class officers, expecting to have a “ dialogue” with the President that night regarding the issues in the AFP that they would like to raise, got frustrated as all Air Force Capt. Segundino Orfiano was able to say after the dinner, when the President briefly asked about the coup issue, was “…we are against corruption." Likewise, based on the remarks made on television immediately after the dinner, PMA ‘94 class president Army Capt. Ma. Noel Tolentino said, “we assured her that we are still… we are loyal to her”.
The President also attended on July 24 the turn-over of the command at the FSRR in Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan
San Miguel, Bulacan
San Miguel de Mayumo is a 1st class, partially urban municipality located in the 3rd district of the province of Bulacan, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 138,839 people.-History:...
, Bulacan
Bulacan
Bulacan , officially called the Province of Bulacan or simply Bulacan Province, is a first class province of the Republic of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon Region in the island of Luzon, north of Manila , and part of the Metro...
as part of the effort to neutralize the coup threat. The President took this opportunity to visit with the members of the FSRR, which at that time was reported to have been significantly infiltrated by suspected rebels. She also visited on July 25 the Marine Training Camp in Ternate, Cavite, Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
, the PAF
Philippine Air Force
The Philippine Air Force is the air force of the Republic of the Philippines, and one of the three main services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas....
15th Strike Wing, and the SWAG in Sangley Point, Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
. Abaya made rounds of other units
where restiveness had been reported.
In the early morning of July 26, the 10 suspected leaders declared unaccounted for by the AFP
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
were identified as Trillanes, Layug, Gambala, Maestrecampo, and Army officers Capt. Lawrence Louis Somera, Capt. Albert Baloloy, 1st Lt. Lawrence San Juan, 1st Lt. Florentino Somera, 1st Lt. Jose Enrico Demetrio Dingle, and 1st Lt. Waren Lee Dagupon. At 5:00 am, emergency meetings were held by Abaya, Golez, and Garcia with the general staff and senior officers to discuss the reports on the missing officers and the reported destabilization plot.
At around 10:00 am, President Arroyo and Corpuz met with a group of NGOs at the EDSA Shrine. Corpuz announced that certain units from Tanay were missing.
At 2:00 pm, a meeting was held by the same group with House Speaker Jose de Venecia and the House Committee Chairman for Defense and Security, Prospero Pichay
Prospero Pichay, Jr.
Prospero Arreza Pichay, Jr. , also known as Butch Pichay and Pro-Pinoy Pichay, is a Philippine politician. He is a member of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1998 to the present...
, to discuss the matter.
At 5:00 pm of July 26, 2003, the President convened a full cabinet meeting where Cabuay presented a briefing on the looming coup plot. Thereafter, the President publicly announced for the first time at 8:19 pm in the media that “a small band of rogue junior officers and soldiers had deserted their posts and illegally brought weapons with them.” The security plan of action was immediately set in motion. Task Force Libra (TF Libra), the counter-coup composite unit of the AFP, was set in motion. The action forces were immediately dispatched in anticipation of the rumored coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
.
A week earlier, a meeting of the leaders of “anti-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo” (PGMA) groups allegedly to discuss pre-SONA activities at the Danarra Hotel in Quezon City was monitored by Government intelligence. On July 25, 2003, intelligence reports were received that some so-called “anti-PGMA” groups like the
People’s Movement Against Poverty (PMAP) and DEMOKRASYA had been instructed to assemble at the EDSA Shrine
EDSA Shrine
The Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA, or more popularly, the EDSA Shrine is a small church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila located at the intersection of Ortigas Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Quezon City...
at 4:00 pm on July 27 and hold an overnight vigil there before proceeding to the Batasan area to hold anti-government rallies during the SONA. Invitations by the “ anti-PGMA” group members to civilians to join the coup to be staged on July 27 were made through cellphone text messages. Among those who were recruited were past and present members of the DIABLO and Philippine Guardians Brotherhood, Inc. (PGBI” ). Police Chief Inspector Leborio Jangao, one of the founding members of PGBI, stated he received cellphone text messages on July 26 informing him that a coup d’etat would be staged on July 27. At this time the crime disturbance personnel of the PNP
Philippine National Police
The Philippine National Police is the national police force of the Republic of the Philippines. It is both a national and a local police force in that it does provides all law enforcement services throughout the Philippines...
had already been instructed to secure the EDSA Shrine, the Connecticut Street area, and the Ortigas Avenue Extension area from rallyists. There
were reports the EDSA Shrine would be the target where another EDSA 2 or EDSA 3 would be staged.
Early on Friday night of July 25, the 80th Infantry Battalion based in Camp Capinpin was ordered to augment TF Libra. The mission of the TF Libra included the securing of vital communications installations such as radio and TV stations. It assisted
the PNP in securing the EDSA Shrine and containing civilian groups in the area. The first elements of the joint TF Libra arrived in Camp Aguinaldo at about 11:00 pm
For his part, Ebdane
Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr.
Hermogenes Edejer Ebdane, Jr. is a Filipino politician and retired General. He is the Current Governor of Zambales. He was the Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways from 4 July 2007-2010, his second appointment to the post.He was a member of the Philippine Military Academy class...
declared a full alert status nationwide, effective 12 noon on July 26, as a contingency measure. All PNP field commanders were directed to secure vital installations and key establishments.
At around 2:00 pm of July 26, the Mandaluyong City
Mandaluyong City
The City of Mandaluyong is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south...
police started the deployment of at least one hundred forty (140) personnel at the Poveda, Connecticut, and Ortigas areas. Later at 3:00 pm, intelligence reports indicated a change of instructions to the rallyists manning the EDSA Shrine. The anti-government groups were advised to assemble at the EDSA Shrine at 6:00 am on July 27 instead.
At about 7:00 pm of July 26, MGen. Efren L. Abu, Vice Commander PA
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
and Commander of TF Libra, visited the 80th Infantry Battalion. By this time, TF Libra was already at its full strength. An hour later, President Arroyo went on air and ordered the arrest of the junior officers who had deserted their posts. A conference presided over by Abaya was held at about 9:00 pm to assess the intelligence situation. Abu gave an update on the forces composition of TF Libra.
The PNP report on troop movement by Marines from Ternate, Cavite to the North or to Manila was confirmed by Cavite PNP Provincial Director Police Senior Superintendent Roberto L. Rosales and Marine Commandant, MGen. Emmanuel Teodosio. The advancing Marines were able to avoid checkpoints on their way to Makati by evasive movements. The PAF civil disturbance contingent earlier deployed at the Batasan area and the PN contingent at the VMMC, both in Quezon City, were then redeployed to the Makati area. An additional one hundred (100) Special Action Force
Special Action Force
The Special Action Force is the National Mobile Unit of the Philippine National Police. It is formed along the lines of the British Army Special Air Service, but with different recruitment and selection procedures...
(SAF) personnel of the PNP were then sent to secure the Batasan complex. In addition, one (1) PA platoon and a PNP contingent reinforced the security forces of TV stations and telecommunications facilities.
Also on July 26, Naval Base personnel in Cavite received a report that three suspicious-looking vehicles were parked at the back of the Naval Sea Systems Command Armory in Fort San Felipe, Cavite City
Cavite City
The City of Cavite is a fourth class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. The city occupies a hook shaped peninsula jutting out into Manila Bay. Cavite City used to be the capital of the province...
.
Following the order issued by President Arroyo to the AFP and PNP for the arrest of the Magdalo officers at around 8 pm and the conference called by Abaya to assess the intelligence reports at 9 pm, operatives of the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detention Group (CIDG) were dispatched to Dasmariñas Village
Dasmariñas Village
Dasmariñas Village or simply Dasma, is a private subdivision and gated community in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. It occupies 187.21 hectares and is bounded by Epifanio de los Santos Avenue to the north, McKinley Road to the northeast, Pili Avenue/Forbes Park South to the east, Maricaban...
, Makati City
Makati City
The City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
at around 10:00 pm that same night of July 26 to verify the presence of heavily armed men in military uniform reported by security guards of the Dasmariñas Village. National Bureau of Investigation
National Bureau of Investigation
The National Bureau of Investigation , is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Justice, responsible for handling and solving major high profile cases that are in the interest of the nation.-Organization and Jurisdiction:The NBI is a government entity that is civilian in...
(NBI) agents were also dispatched to monitor this development.
The Siege
The rebels took over Oakwood at past 1:00 am of July 27. Over three hundred (300) soldiers quietly entered the premises of Ayala Center in several groups. The soldiers disarmed the security guards and took over Oakwood. They planted claymore mines around the building and in the vicinity. Snipers were posted at the Oakwood roof
deck.
Two government command groups were immediately dispatched after reports of the occupation of Oakwood, and of movement of the Marine contingent from Ternate towards Camp Aguinaldo were confirmed. The Crisis Management Staff was formed at the Command Operation Center in Camp Crame, and the Advanced Command Post of the PNP was established behind the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati. Marines and Army officers later joined the PNP at the Makati post, and the Southern Police District Director, Police Chief Superintendent Jose Gutierrez
José Gutiérrez
José Gutiérrez-Guerra, known as "the last Oligarch," was President of Bolivia between 1917 and 1920....
, was designated as the ground commander. At around 2:00 am on July 27, Abu was informed by the Joint Operation Center in Camp Aguinaldo about the presence of troops moving towards Metro Manila. Most of these troops were coming from Ternate, Cavite. At this time, the Marines under Teodosio were already poised to stop the troops. They were pre-positioned around the car park behind Oakwood.
At about the same time, the security guards of Dasmariñas Village in Makati confirmed the presence of heavily armed men in full battle gear marching from Paraiso Street to the EDSA-Pasay Road gate of the village. The armed soldiers, wearing red armbands, forced the security guards to open the gate. They were seen crossing EDSA and going towards the direction of Ayala Center
Ayala Center
The Ayala Center is a commercial complex operated by Ayala Land Incorporated located in the central business district of Makati in Metro Manila, Philippines.-About the Center:...
, Makati City. The CIDG-NBI composite team confirmed that the rebel soldiers came from a house at 2177 Paraiso Street, Dasmariñas Village, owned by Ramon Cardenas who was residing at 1346 Palm Avenue in the same village. At 4:00 am TF Ayala of the Marine Corps had been activated and had occupied positions with infantry and armor, encircling the Ayala Center Complex.
Between 4 and 5 am, the rebel soldiers were able to make arrangements to go on air to issue a public statement. The ABS-CBN News (ANC) network showed a live TV coverage of the prepared statement read by Gambala. In the statement, the rebels declared their withdrawal of support from the chain of command and presented their grievances against the Arroyo government. They demanded the resignation of the Arroyo administration leaders and endorsed the NRP as the solution to the problems of the Philippines.
Also at dawn, Alex Benasin, a resident of the Baseco compound at the Port Area
Port of Manila
The Port of Manila is the largest seaport in the Philippines, and is the premier international shipping gateway to the country. It is located in the vicinity of Manila Bay.-Port Area:...
, was busy recruiting residents of the compound to go to Oakwood for a consideration of three hundred pesos (P300.00) each. Later, at about 8:30 am, members of the PGBI carrying banners of the NRP were seen in the Makati area but they were prevented by the PNP from reaching and camping in the vicinity of Oakwood. Pro-Estrada rallyists headed towards the People Power Monument on EDSA were also dispersed by police stationed in the area. It was reported that more pro-Estrada followers actively recruited people from various Metro Manila locations to regroup in the EDSA Shrine. Members of
the PMAP marched in the direction of Makati City from Greenhills.
After 9:00 am of July 27, President Arroyo gave the rebel soldiers a 5:00 pm deadline to give up their positions peacefully and return to barracks. At around 1:00 pm, she declared the existence of a “State of Rebellion
State of Rebellion
In the Philippines, a state of rebellion is a government declaration that suspends a number of civil rights for a short period of time. It is a form of martial law that allows a government to suppress protest, detain and arrest people, search private property, read private mail, and listen to phone...
” and issued an order to use reasonable force, and pay due regard to constitutional rights, in putting down the rebellion. The rebel soldiers held another public airing of their grievances at around 4:20 pm By that time, 25 rebel soldiers had surrendered to the TF Libra in two batches, as revealed by the Government command stationed outside of Oakwood. The announcement of the surrender was downplayed by the Magdalo group as part of a “psywar
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
” operation on the part of the Government, during an ambush interview of Trillanes.
During the media briefing in the afternoon, other rebel officers besides the known leaders expressed their grievances against the Government while the press conference was going on. Trillanes, in a side interview by a news reporter, stated that they were willing to negotiate.
Teodosio arranged for the rebels’ close family members to go to Oakwood and help persuade members of the rebel group to give up their plans.
Shortly before the 5:00 pm deadline, the President announced an extension of the deadline to 7:00 pm It was during the two-hour reprieve that negotiations with various personalities and groups of negotiators prospered. As the deadline approached, negotiations between the rebel soldiers and the Government team led by the Government chief negotiator, Ambassador Roy A. Cimatu, effectively extended the deadline indefinitely. An agreement was forged between the two groups at 9:30 pm At 10:00 pm, President Arroyo announced that the occupation of Oakwood was over. The rebels agreed to return to barracks and were out of the Oakwood premises by 11:00 pm
Grievances
Based on the press conference held by the rebels during their hold of the hotel, they justified their actions that they are merely taking this drastic actions to air their grievances which are to name a few:- Corruption in the AFPArmed Forces of the PhilippinesThe Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
's Procurement System - AFP Grievances Mechanism
- Sad and obsolete state of the AFP equipage
- State of the AFP Medical Services
- Benefits of soldiers Killed in ActionKilled in actionKilled in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
- State of the Philippine Air ForcePhilippine Air ForceThe Philippine Air Force is the air force of the Republic of the Philippines, and one of the three main services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas....
, and modernization - Inadequate housing program for soldiers
- Overstaying retired officers in official housing for soldiers
Outcome
The bloodless mutiny ended unsuccessfully within 18 hours when the soldiers failed to rally support from the public or the armed forces. All soldiers involved surrendered peacefully and were charged in a general court martial.More than a year after the mutiny, its leaders apologized to the President for the failed military rebellion. Arroyo accepted the apology, but ruled out immediate pardon and said their trial would proceed. The officers face sentences up to life in prison for the mutiny. Trillanes ran for a senatorial position during the 2007 Philippine Elections, using Magdalo paraphernalia.
In November 2004, President Arroyo ordered 133 of the 321 soldiers freed, saying they were deceived by their officers into joining the mutiny. But insiders say that this was made possible through back-channel
Back-channel
-In telecommunications:A back-channel is typically a low-speed, or less-than-optimal, transmission channel in the opposite direction to the main channel.-In IT Security:...
negotiations in the wake of the Magdalo leaders' apology.
Escape
On December 14, 2005, Capt. Nicanor FaeldonNicanor Faeldon
Nicanor E. Faeldon is a Captain in the Philippine Marines who gained national and international attention when he participated as one of the alleged leaders of the incident known as the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003.-Oakwood mutiny:...
, (PN)M one of the alleged leaders, escaped from custody and heavy guard after a hearing at the Regional Trial Court of Makati. He later issued a statement saying that after keeping his silence for over two years, he was leaving to "join the fight for a credible government." He stated that he knew that such actions would bear no benefit for himself, that he would never run for public office, while noting that the events since 2003 have proven him right. Shortly after his escape, four others of his co-accused, led by Army Lt. Lawrence San Juan also escaped from their detention in Fort Bonifacio, Makati City.
While outside, Capt. Faeldon called for civil disobedience and set up an organization, Pilipino.org. His website, www.pilipino.org.ph, received over a million hits in the days following his escape. He also had himself videotaped and photographed inside various military camps throughout the Philippines posting the videos and pictures on his website, saying that:
“ Unless those corrupt generals man the gates themselves, no one can stop me from going in and out of these camps. The enlisted men and officers of the military and the police who remain loyal to the people will not turn me in.”
He was recaptured on January 27, 2006, in Mandaluyong City.
He was placed in solitary confinement in the detention center of the Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines, in Camp Aguinaldo. His salary was also suspended indefinitely. Thereafter, he was transferred to the Philippine Marine Brig in Fort Bonifacio where he was incarecrated until he disappeared during the Manila Peninsula mutiny.
Guilty plea
On July 10, 2007, twelve junior officers, leaders of the Magdalo group – Magdalo is the name of the group of Officers involved in Oakwood Mutiny Incident, entered guilty pleaPlea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a civil or criminal case under common law using the adversary system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a criminal defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response to a criminal charge, whether that...
s on charges of "conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman" – (Article 96, Articles of War) at a hearing at Camp Aguinaldo
Camp Aguinaldo
Camp Aguinaldo is the military headquarters of the Philippine Army and the Armed Forces of the Philippines and is located in Quezon City in the Philippines. It is along Epifanio de los Santos Ave. , in front of Camp Crame, the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police...
. They were Army
Philippine Army
The Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
Captains Gerardo Gambala, Milo Maestrocampo, Lawrence Luis San Juan, Albert Baloloy, John Andres, Florentino Somera and Alvin Ebreo, and First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
s Cleao Donga-as, Audie Tocloy, Von Rio Tayab, Rex Bolo and Brian Yasay.
The verdict on the twelve officers, along with 17 others, will be released on the next scheduled hearing. The court will likely impose the penalty of “dishonorable discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
” on the junior officers. Five other junior officers, including former Lt/SG Grade Antonio Trillanes IV
Antonio Trillanes IV
Antonio "Sonny" Fuentes Trillanes IV is a former Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade and concurrently serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2007....
, who won a seat in the Senate
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
in the 2007 Philippine mid-term elections, have not indicated any intention to enter into a plea bargaining agreement
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
with the court. Trillanes, Gambala and Maestrecampo are members of the Philippine Military Academy
Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy or PMA, is the Philippine military school for the Armed Forces of the Philippines . PMA was established on December 21, 1936 by the virtue of Commonwealth Act No. 1 . PMA is located in Baguio, Benguet province...
Class of 1995.
On August 22, 2007, twelve of the accused were meted the sentence of dishonorable discharge by a military court under Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Legaspi. Sentenced were Army Captains Milo Maestrecampo, Gerardo Gambala, Albert Baloloy, Alvin Ebreo, Lawrence Somera, and John Andres; and First Lieutenants Rex Bolo, Von Rio Tayab, Audie Tocloy, Cleo Donga-as, Florentino Somera, and Brian Yasay. The sentence will take effect once approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
.
On April 29, 2008, the military tribunal, presided by Brig. Gen. Nathaniel Legaspi, sentenced 5 Magdalo soldiers to be discharged from service for pleading guilty for violation of Articles of War
Articles of War
The Articles of War are a set of regulations drawn up to govern the conduct of a country's military and naval forces. The phrase was first used in 1637 in Robert Monro's His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mac-keyes regiment etc. and can be used to refer to military law in general...
96 (conduct unbecoming an officer and gentleman) for their participation in the July 27, 2003 Oakwood mutiny. Army 1st Lieutenants Lawrence San Juan, Sonny Bumidang, and Nathaniel Rabonza werer discharged from the military service. Also sentenced were 1Lt. Jason Panaligan and 2Lt. Christopher Orogan, to 7 years and 6 months imprisonment for violating AW 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline
Conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline
Conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline is an offence against military law in many countries. It has existed in military law since before the 17th century and is an important offence which functions as a catch-all to criminalise offences against military order which are not specified...
). The court's decision is still subject to the approval of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
11 junior officers, led by Navy Lt. Senior Grade James Layug and Marine Capt. Gary Alejano, on June 10, 2008 altered their pleas to guilty to a general court martial for violations of the Articles of War
Articles of War
The Articles of War are a set of regulations drawn up to govern the conduct of a country's military and naval forces. The phrase was first used in 1637 in Robert Monro's His expedition with the worthy Scots regiment called Mac-keyes regiment etc. and can be used to refer to military law in general...
concerning the Oakwood (now Ascott hotel) mutiny. Accordingly, just 6 officers remain charged before the court martial, including Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV
Antonio Trillanes IV
Antonio "Sonny" Fuentes Trillanes IV is a former Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade and concurrently serving as a senator of the Philippines since 2007....
, and fugitive Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon
Nicanor Faeldon
Nicanor E. Faeldon is a Captain in the Philippine Marines who gained national and international attention when he participated as one of the alleged leaders of the incident known as the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003.-Oakwood mutiny:...
.
Appointment, Presidential pardon and release from detention
17 former members of the Magdalo group were each given a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agent (PDEA) badge and were appointed PDEA agents on May 6, 2008. They were part of the 53 junior officers who were honorably discharged after a plea bargain agreement after 4 years of detention. Gloria Macapagal-ArroyoGloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
on May 12, 2008 approved the conditional pardon for 9 convicted Magdalo soldiers. Captains Milo Maestrecampo and Gerardo Gambala, Albert Baloloy, John Andres, Alvin Ebreo, Laurence Luis Somera, First Lieutenants Florentino Somera and Cleo Donga-as and Second Lieutenant Bryan Yasay, were all released from detention in Fort Bonifacio on May 16, 2008 by newly-installed Army commander Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado per Court release order, and after their signing of the joint sworn acceptance of conditional pardon. On April 8, after plea of guilt, the Makati Regional Trial Court sentenced Gambala and Milo Maestrecampo to reclusion perpetua, while Army Captains Alvin Ebreo, Laurence Louis Somera, Albert Baloloy and John Andres, 1Lt. Florentino Somera, 2Lt. Kristoffer Bryan Yasay and 1Lt. Cleo Dongga were sentenced to prison mayor. On April 11, Army Captain Gerardo Gambala spoke for the 9 Magdalo officers, appealing for presidential pardon.
Refusal to plea bargain
Marine Capt. Nicanor FaeldonNicanor Faeldon
Nicanor E. Faeldon is a Captain in the Philippine Marines who gained national and international attention when he participated as one of the alleged leaders of the incident known as the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003.-Oakwood mutiny:...
, one of the accused officers, refused to enter a guilty plea and issued a statement on July 27, 2007, the fourth anniversary of the incident, explaining his decision.