by Ashzel Hachero

Malaya; 20 Nov 09

A Makati court yesterday granted a leader of the Magdalo group that staged the 2003 Oakwood mutiny temporary leave of detention for him to file his certificate of candidacy.

Marine Capt. Gary Alejano was granted a five-day leave starting today. He is running for mayor of Sipalay in Negros Oriental.

The filing of COCs starts today.

Alejano, chair of the Samahang Magdalo, is detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame for his involvement in the Oakwood mutiny and the Manila Peninsula standoff in November 2007.

James Layug

The court has also granted leave to another Magdalo leader, Navy Lt. (s.g.) James Layug, effective November 25. Layug is seeking a congressional post in Taguig City.

Aside from Alejano and Layug, four other Magdalo officers are running for elective posts in the 2010 elections.

Former Air Force 1st Lt. Francisco Ashley Acedillo is running for a House seat representing the first district of Cebu City; Army Capt. Dante Langkit for the sole district of Kalinga province.

One of the core leaders of the group is former Navy lieutenant and now Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who is also under detention.

The Samahang Magdalo, a nationwide organization that includes civilians, is supporting the senatorial bids of Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim (Liberal Party) and Marines Col. Ariel Querubin (Nacionalista Party) . Lim and Querubin are not Magdalo members but they are also in detention on chareges of mutiny against the Arroyo government.

The Samahang Magdalo is also supporting the candidacy of Sen. Chiz Escudero for any position he decides to run for the 2010 election.

By Antonio Gatmaitan

The Daily Tribune; 10 Nov 2009

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile cautioned critics of Sen. Chiz Escudero, saying they should treat him “as a potent candidate for the top post. There is always a first time to undertake a ‘Revolution,’ I will not count him out,” Enrile cryptically told reporters.

The fact that the Magdalo has openly endorsed the candidacy of Escudero as its candidate for president in the coming May 2010 elections is no small feat.

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PRESS STATEMENT OF THE MAGDALO GROUP

Marso Café and Restaurant – October 30, 2009

With due respect to the Second Division of the Honorable Commission on Elections, ang Grupong Magdalo ay naniniwala na ang RESOLUSYON na inilabas nila kamakailan lamang patungkol sa aming petition for accreditation bilang partido politikal ay HINDI PATAS, WALA SA AYOS, at PUNO NG BUTAS dahil sa mga sumusunod na dahilan:

1. Ang RESOLUSYON ay base sa espekulasyon lamang, at nakatuon sa mga MOTIBO raw ng mga tagapagtatag ng grupong MAGDALO PARA SA PAGBABAGO (“Magdalo”). Ang RESOLUSYON ay hindi po base sa ebidensiya but on pure conjecture and presuppositions;

2. The RESOLUTION preempts the Court trying the case, kung saan ngayon ay nililitis pa po sa Makati Regional Trial Court, Branch 148. The RESOLUTION unfairly jumped at the conclusion that the founders of the Magdalo “employed violence” and “use unlawful means” and “in the process defied the laws of organized society” during the Oakwood Incident samantalang ang Korte mismong naglilitis sa kaso ay HINDI PA PO NAGLALABAS NG DESISYON patungkol dito.

3. Because of this, the RESOLUTION violated our Constitutional right to the presumption of innocence, lalung-lalong na ng mga tagapagtatag, and the right of the Magdalo to due process of law.

4. The RESOLUTION also cites documents which were never presented as evidence during our petition hearing and which are not part of the records of the case [i.e., the supposed records of the court martial hearing referred to in Letter (c) of the observations of the ponente as appearing on Pages 5 & 6 of the RESOLUTION].

5. The RESOLUTION also assumes facts NA HINDI BASE SA EBIDENSIYA. Its conclusions regarding the Oakwood Incident have no basis on record SA ANUMANG KORTE at sa katunayan ay HITIK PO SA PAGKAKAMALI. A case in point are the claims in the RESOLUTION that “several innocent civilian personnel were held hostage” and the Magdalo group used “violence” which are completely false and utterly baseless.

6. The RESOLUTION was not based on a determination of whether or not the MAGDALO met all of the requirements for accreditation as a Political Party – AND WE HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS po — but apparently, the RESOLUTION is based on the personal bias and prejudice of the ponente.

These bring to light other issues:

1. Fundamental fairness of the COMELEC

DAHIL PO SA RESOLUSYON na ito, it brings to the fore the issue of the fundamental fairness of the COMELEC. Mawalang-galang na po sa mga makakaliwang-grupo, but why is it that left-leaning groups, even those identified with the NPA, have been accredited by the COMELEC and have in fact been allowed to participate in the National, Local and Party-List elections while the Magdalo, which is composed of former officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and now even civilians, are denied the same opportunity? Does the COMELEC have a bias against former members of the AFP? O dapat po bang maging retirado ka munang heneral ng AFP na kahit nabansagan kang berdugo pero dahil ka-alyado ng administrasyon ay papaboran ka?

2. Faulty Logic of the Reason Cited for the Denial

The view expressed by the RESOLUTION is also myopic and short-sighted. The logic is also defective. If the desire of Magdalo is to merely “recruit and indoctrinate disciplined followers who may become their blind followers”, we would not go to the trouble of filing a petition for accreditation with the COMELEC. We could very well have achieved this purpose by forming even an informal group or a secret or clandestine organization at patagong mag-recruit ng mga miyembro, at kung ano pa.

The fact that the Magdalo have decided to form a group and apply for accreditation as a political party signifies the group’s desire and firm resolve to continue its advocacy for reforms through legitimate and lawful means, particularly by participating in the electoral process.

In fact, it is in the best interest of the country for COMELEC to encourage the Magdalo group to join the mainstream of Filipino society and allow it to participate in the democratic process, especially in elections, by approving its application for accreditation as a political party sa halip na I-ISOLATE KAMI at ITULAK KAMI SA FRINGES sa pagbasura n gaming petisyon.

Steps Moving Forward

Because of the issues na kababanggit ko po lamang, amin pong i-aapila sa Kagalang-galang na COMELEC en banc, lalo na kay Chairman Jose Melo, within the period prescribed by the rules PARA PO MAANYAYAHAN ang Commission on Elections to reconsider, at kung maari, rebisahin ang RESOLUSYON po na ito.

Maraming salamat po.