By Ronron
February 13, 2008
Defense lawyers saw a hidden camera pointed at them during Wednesday’s court martial hearing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City against Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and 27 others for their alleged mutinous activity in February 2006.
Atty. Vicente Caoile, lawyer for accused Marine Lt. Cols. Achilles Segumalian and Armando Bañez, discovered the small camera that was hidden in a colored green plastic flower decoration hung on the wall of the court room at Daza Park in Camp Aguinaldo.
Caoile said he suspected that it was not an ordinary decorative piece because during last week’s hearing, it was colored silver. The device was located at the back of the defense lawyers, pointing down at them.
“It was silver in color in last week’s hearing but now it was repainted green,” Caoile told the court after discovering the gadget at past 12 noon, or more than two hours since the start of the trial.
After calling the attention of the six-man panel led by Maj. Gen. Jogy Leo Fojas, the latter immediately ordered the military policemen inside the court room to remove it.
“We have not directed anybody to place surveillance cameras. I direct whoever installed that to remove it immediately. Then, we can proceed,” Fojas said.
Caoile complained that the use of the camera “is a violation of the anti-wiretapping law and the Human Security Act.”
“We object to the presence of this camera… Who knows, Big Brother is watching us?” he told the court.
Caoile surmised that it was being used to monitor and record the legal strategies of the defense lawyers, in violation, according to him, of a Supreme Court ruling.
Defense lawyer Trixie Angeles, who represents Army Captain Ruben Guinolbay, took a picture of the gadget after it was removed.
In a phone interview after the hearing, court martial spokesman Captain Edgardo Abad explained that the camera had already been there even before the hearing was transferred there last week from Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal.
He said the camera was being used to monitor the entrance of the hall, which is a actually a pavilion when not being used as a court room. The camera is connected to a CCTV.
Abad denied that it was used to monitor the legal strategies of the defense, although he admitted it was purposely painted green so the defense will not be conscious about it.
The court, meanwhile, failed to arraign the 28 accused after both prosecution and defense agreed to amend some of the charges and specifications in the case. The accused are facing charges for violation of various Articles of War, including mutiny./DMS
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