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Esperon skips hearing on Feb 2006 coup


Former Armed Forces chief Hermogenes Esperon on Wednesday failed to attend a hearing by a military tribunal on the alleged attempt to overthrow the Arroyo government three years ago. Col. Jose Feliciano Loy, head of the prosecution panel, said Esperon attended the caucus by the administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD to pick its standard bearer for next year’s elections. Esperon is reportedly planning to run for congressman in Pangasinan next year. Esperon, now head of the Presidential Management Staff, was supposed to confirm the roles of then Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda and then Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, among others, in the failed coup attempt. "General Esperon will identify many of the accused as to their participation (in the failed coup)," Loy said of Esperon’s expected testimony. Loy said Esperon’s testimony would also include his "confrontation" with Lim and Miranda, and how he rejected Lim’s request for custody after the failed coup. Lim ended up under the custody of then Armed Forces chief and now Ambassador to Iran Generoso Senga. Esperon was the chief of the Philippine Army when Miranda and Lim allegedly plotted to dethrone President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in February 2006. He later on became the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and then presidential adviser on the peace process. Miranda, Lim and 26 other Marine and Army officers are now detained and facing mutiny charges before the military tribunal for the February 2006 coup attempt. Lim, who has signified his intention to run as senator next year, is also facing rebellion charges for his role in the November 2007 siege of the Manila Peninsula Hotel alongside detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. Loy said Esperon promised to attend the next hearing on September 23. "He is 99 percent coming," he told the court. - GMANews.TV

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