Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye pointed out that the act of courage displayed by the six mutiny leaders could pave the way for national unity and reconciliation, which President Arroyo reiterated last week during the commemoration of the declaration of martial law 32 years ago.

“What the young officers did was highly commendable and we have much to learn from them, especially in these times of crisis and acrimony,” he said in a statement.

“It takes courage to admit one’s fault and come into the mainstream of the public interest,” Bunye added.

The President accepted last Friday the apology of the six leaders of the Magdalo group for staging the Oakwood mutiny in Makati City last year. She said the trial of the ringleaders would proceed while leniency will be given to their followers who were misled in joining the failed uprising.

“We hope that this spirit of self-abnegation can be bolstered by a display of statesmanship at the higher levels of leadership in our society,” Bunye said.

He said the apology of the Magdalo soldiers, which came a few days after the President convened the National Security Council to tackle the need for a just closure of the conflicts brought about by three EDSA popular revolts, might just jumpstart the healing of the deeply divided nation.

“We have been divided by so many forces in the past that we just don’t know where and how to begin the task of healing,” he said.

Bunye said the action of the Magdalo soldiers met the pre-requisites of a just and principled reconciliation.

These are:
1. Admission of a wrongdoing.
2. Restitution or at least an offer of restitution.
3. A promise not to repeat the wrong.

He trusted the sincerity of the mutiny leaders in issuing the apology to the President since they did not ask leniency for themselves.

“They even reiterated their willingness and readiness to face the full consequences of their action,” he added.

He recalled the six military officers were a “picture of contrition” during the brief closed-door meeting with the President in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City last Friday morning, the first meeting since the Oakwood mutiny in July last year.

“The snappy salute to their Commander-in-Chief said it all. They are sorry. They are willing to face the consequences of their act. They promise not to do it again,” he said.

Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala, one of the leaders of the Magdalo group, said that they have realized that staging the mutiny was not the answer to their grievances against the Armed Forces leadership.

“No longer defiant, Captain (Gerardo) Gambala said that the statement which he read earlier was their free and voluntary act. They realized their mistake and they offered their apologies not only to the President but also to former Defense secretary Angelo Reyes and former ISAFP (Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines) chief Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus,” Bunye said.

He said the President accepted the apology of the officers and instructed the AFP top officials to expedite the court martial proceedings. He noted that the proceedings have been stalled in the past due to the numerous peremptory challenges by the defense counsel.

Bunye also disclosed that the apology letter was prepared five weeks ago and sent to the President through a “civilian emissary.” The President, however, read it only last Wednesday, he added.

The President, in her inaugural last June, stated the need to find a just closure to the deep division in Philippine society to move the nation forward. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)

Reyes welcomes apology

Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes welcomed the apology of the six leaders of the failed July 27 Oakwood mutiny as he commended the young officers for their courage in accepting their fault and full responsibility for their actions.

At the same time, Reyes said he  feels vindicated that the truth has finally come out.

He, however, called on the people behind the uprising to also come out and do what the young officers have done, which is to accept responsibility for destroying the careers, lives, and families of those who participated  in the failed mutiny.

“The statement of the six principal leaders of the so-called Magdalo group confirms what I have been saying all along. The allegations they made on July 27, 2003 are false and malicious. Their actions have caused me and my family great pain but I have maintained that the truth will eventually come out,” Reyes said.

“I feel a sense of vindication that the truth about the whole Oakwood incident has finally come to light,” he added.

“Now that these officers and men have courageously accepted their fault and responsibility, I hope that the people who led them down this misguided trail will similarly come out and accept responsibility for the ruined careers, besmirched reputations, and lives and families they destroyed,” he stressed.

The DILG Secretary also congratulated the young officers for being men enough to face up to the consequences of their acts and at the same time admit their errors.

He also expressed belief that the statement issued by the six officers reflects the sentiment of the majority of those who  joined the mutiny.

However, he stressed that while the leaders of the Oakwood mutiny have already aired their apology, the rule of law must still be followed.

Six leaders of the Magdalo group — Capt. Gerardo Gambala, Capt. Gary Alejano, Capt. Nicanor Faeldon, Capt. Milo Maestrecampo, Lt. James Layug, and Lt. Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes IV — on Friday expressed their apologies to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and offered their commitment to peace and reconciliation with her government.

They also aired their apology to Reyes, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now National Security Adviser Hermogenes Ebdane, and Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Civil Relations Service (AFP-CRS), for falsely accusing  them  of involvement in irregularities in the military and police.

Gambala and his group apologized to Reyes, Ebdane, and Corpus as well as the families of the three officers for whatever damage their accusations have caused to their personal and professional reputations. (ELA)