Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, July 28, 2003
Arroyo Declares to Form Independent Commission on Mutiny, Davao Bombings
Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Monday declared to form an independent commission to investigate the weekend mutiny staged by a group of disgruntled officers and soldiers and the bombings in the southern Philippine city of Davao earlier this year.
Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Monday declared to form an independent commission to investigate the weekend mutiny staged by a group of disgruntled officers and soldiers and the bombings in the southern Philippine city of Davao earlier this year.
"I am constituting an independent commission to investigate themutiny and Davao bombings," Arroyo said in her State of the Nation Address at the Congress minutes ago.
Arroyo also announced the forming of a Philippine National Police reform commission to revamp the police forces.
Likewise, she said the mutiny staged by a group of misguided officers and soldiers was peacefully ended without bloodshed, without damage within a day. The mutiny was deplorable, but outlined "some underlying problems we must address," she said.
Nearly 300 mutineers, including 70 officers, staged a mutiny early Sunday to demand the resignations of Arroyo, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes and Director General of the Philippine National Police Hermogenes Ebdane over allegations of corruption.
They also alleged the military staged terrorist attacks to win US aid, such as the Davao airport bombing in March and the seaport bombing in April, which left 38 people dead.
The mutiny crisis was peacefully ended late Sunday by the negotiation effort led by former Armed Forces chief of staff Roy Cimatu and some legitimate issues asked by the mutineers were pledged to be solved by the military.