President Arroyo will uphold "constitutionalism, adherence to the chain of command, and respect for the rule of law" in deciding on a petition for pardon for the convicted mutineers, Malacañang announced yesterday.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the President, who has the sole prerogative to grant pardon to convicts, will take into consideration these three factors in the case of the nine junior military officers who were recently sentenced to jail for the 2003 Makati mutiny.


"You can rest assured that whatever decision she makes will uphold constitutionalism, adherence to the chain of command, and respect for the rule of law," he said.


The President is scheduled today, April 15, to convene a cabinet meeting at the Department of Justice. They are expected to tackle the petition for pardon by the rebel soldiers as well as the country’s food situation.


Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez said the application for pardon will first be scrutinized by the Department of Justice and the Board of Pardons and Parole. The justice authorities would then submit a recommendation to the President on the request for pardon.


Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo encouraged Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to follow in the footsteps of his colleagues who pleaded guilty and apologized to the public and government for their involvement in the short- lived rebellion.


Trillanes was among the leaders of the Magdalo group that staged the 2003 mutiny in Makati City. The former military officer remains detained pending the rebellion trial.


Fajardo denied suspicions that the government forged a deal with the rebel soldiers prior to the ruling of the Makati trial court.
She said the conviction of the soldiers was a manifestation of the triumph of the justice system. "The soldiers, having been given their day in court, changed their plea from not guilty to guilty. There is no ploy. We must give it to the Magdalo soldiers for their realization of the grave mistake they did when they launched the Oakwood mutiny," she added.


Last week, the Makati regional trial court sentenced Army Captains Gerardo Gambala and Milo Maestrecampo to life imprisonment and the seven others to up to 12 years in prison after the nine soldiers reversed their not guilty pleas to guilty to the charge of coup d’etat.
For full article: http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080415121886.html


I wonder, iga-grant nga kaya ni GMA ang pardon sa mga sundalo na to..