Reporter attends Oakwood mutiny hearing saying that there was no force on that day

Miami
May 27, 2008
Story: Reporter attends Oakwood mutiny hearing saying that there was no force on that day

ABS-CBN reporter Alvin Elchico gave testimony at the witness stand at the sala of Judge Oscar Pimentel of Makati RTC Branch 148 with regards to the Oakwood mutiny happened last July 2003.

Elchico was able to go inside the Oakwood hotel to cover what is happening inside through the help of his former elementary classmate ex-Army Captain Milo Maestrecampo. The latter was already pardoned after pleaded guilty last April 2008.

Elchico said he just told the Court that he did not saw any force during the stay of the Magdalo soldiers inside the hotel. He also said that the hotel staff were not intimidated y anyone of the soldiers.

Atty. Ernesto Francisco, defense counsel, sees Elchico’s testimony as proof that what the Magdalo soldiers did is not a coup d’etat but simply giving out their grievances, “The soldiers are airing out what they want to say.”

In his interviews with the soldiers, Elchico said, “The soldiers are asking for the resignation of then Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, then Philippine National Police (PNP) Director Hermogenes Ebdane and former Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAF) Chief Victor Corpuz. And throughout his stay inside Oakwood I did not hear any of the soldiers say that they wanted to take over the government or the Malacañang.”

For the prosecution panel, the testimony of Elchico is not relevant on the case anymore, “As long as there are some Magdalo members who have their firearms with them and planted bomb in the vicinity of Oakwood that can be consider as coup d’etat already.”State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera said.

The next hearing was set on June 26.