Army admits different treatment on former escapee Magdalo officers

Army admits different treatment on former escapee Magdalo officers
By Ronron
January 9, 2007

Manila - The spokesman of the Philippine Army admitted on Tuesday that they are treating at least three Magdalo officers differently from the rest of their fellow mutineers because they have already escaped before.

Maj. Ernesto Torres, Jr. said Captain Dante Langkit, 2nd Lt. Aldrin Baldonado and 1Lt. Sonny Sarmiento are being detained individually at a row of detention cells inside the Intelligence Service Group (ISG) compound at the Philippine Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, unlike their other fellow mutineers.

“There are slight differences in the way they are treated, because they have graver offense. In terms of security, their guards are stricter on them inside the compound,” Torres said.

Last week, the wives of Baldonado and Sarmiento complained that the two are being placed in solitary confinement, and are being treated harshly.

“They are being detained individually, but it’s different from the perception about a bartolina (solitary confinement)… It’s a room. They are staying in one room,” Torres said of the three.

But he denied the harsh treatment claim of the officers’ wives.

“They are being treated well and we will continue to do that, to treat them well for as long as they are under our custody,” Torres said.

“In fact, they are given enough food, they have nice living quarters, and the visitation arrangement for them are in order,” he added.

He, however, admitted that those officers who have vowed to support the government, like Army Captain Gerardo Gambala and Milo Maestrecampo, are given “more comfortable and livable living quarters.”

Torres said “they also have enough room to exercise…, they also have a full-length basketball court, which also doubles as a badminton court, a mini gym, and inside the campus are several livelihood projects for the detainees.”

He said the detainees engage in making rig for shooting (belt), holster, and ammunition pouch, and in soap-making inside the detention compound. Some are also engaged in poultry raising.

Told about the apparent weight loss of Sarmiento and 1Lt. Nathaniel Rabonza, Torres explained: “It’s not really because they are not being fed well. Of course, the problem of being detained, how ever you are treated, it causes you some anxiety. This may be some of the factors why they lost weight.”

Sarmiento and Rabonza escaped from detention in January last year, together with 1Lts. Lawrence San Juan and Patricio Bumidang. They were all re-arrested a few months later.

Langkit and Baldonado, for their parts, went on Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL), but were also arrested last year.

All are being accused of helping plan to overthrow the Arroyo government. Except for Baldonado, they are now facing charges both before the General Court Martial and civilian courts. Baldonado is only facing charges at the Quezon City court./DMS