Court martial convened vs general, aide
06/09/2008 | 03:16 PM
MANILA, Philippines - A general court martial has been convened to try a two-star general and an enlisted personnel accused of extorting money from people seeking enlistment to the Philippine Army.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado said the eight-member general court martial will be led by Army Special Operations Command chief Maj. Gen. Daniel Casabar.
The court will try Maj. Gen. Jose Barbieto, erstwhile 4th Infantry Division commander, and Sgt. Rosseler Echipare for violation of the Article of War 55 (making unlawful enlistment) and AW 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline).
Barbieto is also facing violation of AW 96 or conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman.
“I already organized a court martial (to conduct the trial). After preliminary meetings, they will start the trial,” said Ibrado, who created the military court less than a month after he assumed as chief of 80,000-strong Army on May 14.
Ibrado said the eight members of the general court martial are seven senior colonels and one military lawyer.
The conduct of trial against Barbieto and Echipare was approved by former Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr before he retired from the service last May 12. He directed the Army leadership to organize the general court martial.
Barbieto and Echipare allegedly solicited P25,000 to P30,000 from individuals in exchange for enlistment with the Army’s 4th Infantry Division. The two have been ordered restricted to quarters pending the conduct of the trial against them.
Ibrado said his order to the general court martial was to “expedite the trial so that the service of justice would not be delayed.”
He however said he is not setting a timeline for the court to finish with the proceedings.
Barbieto, a classmate of Esperon in the Philippine Military Academy class 1974, is the second two-star general to be tried by a military court on corruption charges. The first was former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.
Garcia was found guilty by a military court and dishonorably discharged from the service in December 2005. Garcia, detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, is facing a charge of plunder before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan. - GMANews.TV
Army chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado said the eight-member general court martial will be led by Army Special Operations Command chief Maj. Gen. Daniel Casabar.
The court will try Maj. Gen. Jose Barbieto, erstwhile 4th Infantry Division commander, and Sgt. Rosseler Echipare for violation of the Article of War 55 (making unlawful enlistment) and AW 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline).
Barbieto is also facing violation of AW 96 or conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman.
“I already organized a court martial (to conduct the trial). After preliminary meetings, they will start the trial,” said Ibrado, who created the military court less than a month after he assumed as chief of 80,000-strong Army on May 14.
Ibrado said the eight members of the general court martial are seven senior colonels and one military lawyer.
The conduct of trial against Barbieto and Echipare was approved by former Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr before he retired from the service last May 12. He directed the Army leadership to organize the general court martial.
Barbieto and Echipare allegedly solicited P25,000 to P30,000 from individuals in exchange for enlistment with the Army’s 4th Infantry Division. The two have been ordered restricted to quarters pending the conduct of the trial against them.
Ibrado said his order to the general court martial was to “expedite the trial so that the service of justice would not be delayed.”
He however said he is not setting a timeline for the court to finish with the proceedings.
Barbieto, a classmate of Esperon in the Philippine Military Academy class 1974, is the second two-star general to be tried by a military court on corruption charges. The first was former military comptroller Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.
Garcia was found guilty by a military court and dishonorably discharged from the service in December 2005. Garcia, detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame, is facing a charge of plunder before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan. - GMANews.TV
