Now that Antonio Trillanes IV has been proclaimed as a Senator of the Republic (I like how that sounds, grand), it is time to assess and think about the phenomenon that is Trillanes.
Mr. Trillanes came into limelight through infamous means. Several members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, led by Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala and Navy Lt. Antonio Trillanes IV took over the posh Oakwood Premier in Makati, which is now widely known as Oakwood Mutiny. It failed after 18 hours, all were captured and charged in civil and military courts, and little was done to address the legitimate grievances aired by the Magdalo soldiers. Half of the soldiers were released from prison after most of the leaders apologized. Trillanes was the one of the hardliners.
The Feliciano Commission was formed to investigate the mutiny. Its two major findings: it was a planned action, and the grievances aired were legitimate. It also found that the grievance mechanisms of the AFP to be ineffective.
Two years after Oakwood, a vindication of sorts happened when the AFP General Court Martial found Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia guilty of corruption. His plunder case is currently pending at the Sandiganbayan.
Four years after the Oakwood Mutiny, Trillanes is now a Senator of the Republic, with 11 million Filipinos voting for him. His election raises a lot of questions and criticisms.
One, some quarters condemn the choice by the voters; they say that the vote gives the notion that mutiny is OK, that mutineers are being rewarded instead of punished, that the vote sets a bad precedent and will encourage more military adventurism. The simple answer is this: non sequitur. It does not necessarily follow.
Two, what happens now to his civil and military cases? Anthony Taberna of ABS-CBN made a valid point. In a criminal case, the complainant is the people of the Philippines, as in People of the Philippines versus Antonio Trillanes IV. Isn’t his election a virtual absolution? That the people as complainants dropped the case against him by electing him as a senator? If you believe a person as a criminal, you don’t put him in an elected position. And so, the people dropped its role as complainant and instead acted as the jury.
The military case is complicated at face value, but if you read Article II, Section 3, it is very simple. But Hermogenes Esperon still cannot accept the fact that the people have spoken. He even said this (on the matter of allowing Trillanes to attend Senate sessions):
“There’s no such thing as bail in the military,” Esperon said. “If we disregard the Articles of War, then we might as well forget discipline in the armed forces. Let’s forget that we have an army.”
He really needs some Brain Age training.
Three, shall we just sweep what he did under the rug? Now, I will love and relish saying this. If you are pro-Gloria Arroyo, anti-opposition, pro-status quo, pro-move on, I say this to you: move on. There’s no use dwelling in the past. Ha ha ha! Take that!
Anyway, I myself do not approve of the means that he took to make his point. But I come to think of it, he might have made the right move. Afterall, he went directly to Gloria Arroyo, but nothing came out of it. So the chain of command is unresponsive to change. What if they went to the media, as one broadcaster back then asked the Magdalo people? Here’s what I had posted in my personal blog on that day:
Take what Karen Davila said when she interviewed Lt. Senior Grade Trillanes (the spokesman of the Magdalo). The Magdalo insists on its action because it was the only way. “Bakit di kayo lumapit sa media?” “After your scoop, what would happen to us? Can you protect us? After your scoop, we would be gone, court-martialed, but would there be any positive results?” Ms. Davila failed to counter that. By trying to force her opinion, she only made herself ridiculous.
I guess, there are times when the ends justify the means. If the proper and legal mechanisms were working, the Oakwood Mutiny might have not happened. Alas, like in January of 2001, the rule of law became rule by law.
Anyway, a lot of things have happened that seemed to vindicate Antonio Trillanes IV. His election is just one of them.
His election is a vindication, for the vote validates his advocacies and message.
His election is a sign that the people agree with what he had said before.
His election is a slap to Gloria Arroyo and the AFP’s chain of command.
—
Did you vote for Sonny Trillanes? Why?
You know Arbet, Gloria’s and Esperon’s perfidy did them in. It is very ironic that it was Gloria’s legal department headed by Gunggong Gonzales actually gave Trillanes the chance to become Senator.
Lemme explain:
During the negotiations (of which Max Soliven was a member of the negotiating panel) for the surrender of the rebel soldiers under Trillanes, it was agreed that as part of the surrender terms, the MAGDALO group would be charged under the Articles of War, i.e., eventually to be tried in a Court Martial, and not by civilian courts.
Matter of fact General Cimatu had given his word to the Magdalos that they would be dealt with under the Articles of War and Max Soliven wrote about this at length full stop! General Efren Abu who took the soldiers in after the surrender knew this. When he became the Chief of Staff, he should have honoured the agreement and not allowed civilian courts to meddle.
Max Soliven even called this government “traydor” if you remember and went on and on about what was agreed upon while the DoJ was hauling the Magdalo group from one court to the other.
Now, had Gloria’s perfidy not gotten the better of her, she would have honoured what was agreed upon, tried the young officers under Articles of War, face a Court Martial and am pretty sure, they would have been convicted.
But because our civilian justice system is so slow and because of the incompetence of Gonzales, see where it got them? Trillanes, after 4 years, the trial isn’t over, therefore there couldn’t be any conviction, hence Trillanes has no record and could run!
Funny isn’t it that Gloria herself cut her own nose to spite herself with her fiddling about – her lack of honour eventually did her in!
Hehehe!
Antonio Trillanes’s victory is the landslide that was GO’s which is similar to TU’s 12-0 clean sweep that we’re still waiting to happen.
Hello, Abalos …
Wow, Mam A, that’s history! Too bad it isn’t available online.
Hi, Arthur. Abalos is one great ballet dancer, no?
“The Negotiation with the Magdalo” by Max Soliven is up at sundalodotbravehostdotcom.
That’s the closest link I can get re: what Max has written on the negotiation.
No way, ‘bet. Commish is easily the “how high” kind of a pup.
By the way, I didn’t vote for Sticks (IIII OR IV). I’m too clannish. And a Dem.
You’re giving him way too much credit. You & I know he’s the “how high” kind of pup.
I didn’t vote for Sticks (IIII OR IV). I’m clannish, and a dem.
Hi, Baycas, thanks for the info.
Hi, Arthur, better Trillanes than Pichay, IMO.
I like Sticks the most. Like in Among, our hopes, enbodied. Let’s make it work. If we fail, we’ll just go back to the drawing board until we succeed.