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MANILA.
Outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen.
Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Monday said his ties with Maj. Gen.
Jose Barbieto, a general linked to extortion, will not matter
in making a decision on a recommendation for the latter's
court martial.
Probers
have recommended the court martial trial of Barbieto and SSgt.
Roseller Echipare for violation for Articles of War (AW) 55
(making unlawful enlistment) and AW 97 (conduct prejudicial
to good order and military discipline).
Barbieto
and Echipare, who have both been ordered restricted in their
quarters at Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, supposedly
asked P25,000 to P30,000 from candidate-soldiers in exchange
for enlistment in the Army and for mismanaging funds for militiamen.
Barbieto
was recommended for trial also for violation of AW 96 or conduct
unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.
Esperon
and Barbieto, the erstwhile commander of the Army's 4th Infantry
Division that supervises operations against armed groups in
Northern Mindanao, are "mistahs" or classmates in
the Philippine Military Academy class of 1974.
"Our
being mistahs will not matter. You just remember that general
(Renato) Miranda is my classmate. So it has nothing to do
with being classmates. You just remember that general Miranda
is my classmate," Esperon said in an interview with defense
reporters.
Esperon
approved the court martial of Miranda, former Scout Ranger
chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and 26 other Marines and Scout
Ranger officers for their involvement in the alleged attempt
to overthrow the Arroyo government in February 2006.
Miranda
and Lim allegedly planned to lead their men in a march to
the EDSA Shrine to join anti-government protesters and subsequently
withdraw their support from their commander-in-chief President
Arroyo.
Esperon
assured that he will act on the recommendation of Army investigators,
who earlier established prima facie evidence to proceed with
the court martial of Barbieto and Echipare.
Esperon
is due to retire from military service on May 9 after a three-month
extension of his term.
Esperon
will be replaced by Army Chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, who
was the one who ordered the probe on Barbieto and Echipare.
"I
will let the staff do their work and I'll just act on it.
Of course, I will act on it as soon as possible given the
advice by the cognizant staff. As soon as it (recommendation)
gets back to me," said Esperon.
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