4 fugitive officers warn of 'new Armed Forces' vs Arroyo

4 fugitive officers warn of 'new Armed Forces' vs Arroyo
First posted 12:56pm (Mla time) Jan 19, 2006
By Joel Francis Guinto, INQ7.net

A force within the Armed Forces of the Philippines is growing "stronger by the day" that will fight for a "change of system" where the people's interests "are truly supreme," warned four junior officers who escaped detention from a military camp Tuesday.

At the same time, Captain Nathaniel Rabonza, and First Lieutenants Lawrence San Juan, Sonny Sarmiento, and Patricio Bumidang Jr. urged their comrades to "act now" to end the "corruption, illegitimacy, and neglect … and repression of a bogus regime."

The "new AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines]" will fight for a "change of system" to end "corruption,
illegitimacy, and neglect," they said in a statement sent via e-mail to GMA Network news anchor Arnold Clavio, copies of which were distributed to newsmen.

"We are a force that grows stronger by the day, working in solidarity to usher a new nation where the people's interests are truly supreme," the group said.

"The imperative is on all of us. The time to act is now," the group said.

The group said "most of the Armed Forces" remained loyal to their oath to uphold the sovereign will of the people.

"Those who insist on the neutrality of the military, and who now occupy the positions of power, are those who would rather that we stay silent, betray our oath, and in effect even help them perpetuate their own selfish interests. They are the enemies of the people. We refuse to be their pawns," the four said.

The four scored government for having a system "that reduces people to being mere spectators." They said the current political system reeked of "petty quarrels, distracting issues, and cosmetic reforms."

The group said they bolted detention at Fort Bonifacio Tuesday evening in protest of the "repression of a bogus regime."

"We will no longer go along with the repression that this regime has to impose in order to continue its illegitimate rule. It is a repression that continues to prevent the members of the armed forces from, and even punishes them for, carrying out their sworn duty: To defend the Filipino people," they said.

Earlier Thursday, the mutineers' lawyers claimed to have established contact with them.

Quoting his phone conversation with Bumidang, lawyer Roel Pulido said "brother soldiers" helped the group escape to thwart an "evil plan" being hatched against them.