Philippine Official Wants President to Intervene Mutiny Probe

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, August 01, 2003

Philippine Official Wants President to Intervene Mutiny Probe

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Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople on Thursday urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to intervene and allow the junior officers who led the latest failed mutiny to testify at Friday's Senate hearing.

"I anticipate that the president herself will intervene in order to allow the soldiers to testify in the senate inquiry because she wants to get the picture steadily and whole," Opie said in a press briefing.

"They are also keen to discover what is known as the political component. You cannot draw out the facts unless you allow the soldiers to testify," Opie stressed.

When asked for his reaction on the military's refusal to allow mutiny leader Lieutenant Antonio Trillanes and his companions to testify at the hearing on Thursday at the House of Representatives,Opie said, "I don't agree that the soldiers should be withheld from a congressional inquiry."

At the same time, Ople urged the investigative commissions created by Arroyo to search for the truth rather than for "fall guys" in connection with short-lived mutiny.

He warned military chief of staff General Narciso Abaya that ifhe refuses to allow the officers to testify at the Senate hearing today, he will be held in contempt.

Ople's remarks echoed that of Senate President Franklin Drilon earlier on Thursday.

The Senate is slated to start on Friday its independent probe into the mutiny incident, warning of delinquency of any parties tospoil the probe. Drilon said top military officers could be cited for contempt if they defy a Senate order for them to bring all theleaders of the mutiny.

The House of Representatives started on Thursday its own hearing on the mutiny but ranking officers from the military said they would not let the five detained junior officers show up due to alleged security concerns.

Drilon said that military leaders should honor the invitations issued by the Senate committee on national defense and security ofthe whole, or else, the chamber would be forced to "resort to the more compulsive process of a subpoena."

Once subpoenaed, resource persons are mandated to comply with the requirements of the Senate, failure of which would lead to a contempt charge.

Around 300 fully armed soldiers took over upper-end condominiumin the heart of the business district on early Sunday, and set up explosive devices in and around the building. They demand the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Defense Secretary Reyes and other ranking military and police officers.

The mutineers agreed on Sunday night to lay down the arms and walk out of the building to give their mutiny a peaceful end aftera lengthy negotiation with the government panel.

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