Southcom on red alert for
fugitive Oakwood mutineers
text & photo HADER GLANG


Philippine flag flies over at Southern Command
headquarters as the military places its forces
to red alert against fugitive Oakwood mutineers.

Military in Mindanao have launched an intensive manhunt for four Army junior officers who participated in the Oakwood mutiny in 2003 whom they say were planning disorder following their escape Tuesday night from a detention cell in Fort Bonifacio.

Maj. Gamal Hayudini, public information chief of the Armed Forces’ Southern Command, said the entire Southcom under Maj. Gen. Gabriel Habacon has been placed on red alert against disturbance that maybe carried out by the recent escape of Oakwood mutineers.

“This is also in anticipation in keeping the watch for the possible entry and arrest of 4 Oakwood mutineers,” Hayudini added.

The four members of the so-called Magdalo group were discovered missing from their detention quarters at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) compound at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig during the regular headcount at 9 p.m. last Tuesday.

The hunt for the four Oakwood mutineers also comes amid escalating concern about reports that Capt. Nicanor Faeldon, fugitive coup leader, was spotted inside the Southcom headquarters in Zamboanga City recently.

Faeldon released a set of new photographs and a video clip showing he was inside Southcom. Last week he also showed footages taken in Palawan province in the central Philippines when he allegedly sneaked inside the Western Command headquarters on December 21.

Hayudini said the effort would also include Faeldon who earlier staged a broad daylight escape during a court hearing. He identified the 4 rebel-soldiers turned fugitives as 1Lts. Lawrence San Juan, Nathaniel Rabonza, Patricio Bumindag and Sonny Sarmiento.

“For escaping, they are now wanted by law and we could not discount the possibility that they will flee and seek refuge within Southcom’s area of responsibility which covers the whole Mindanao region,” he said.

Earlier, AFP Chief Gen. Generoso Senga ordered the various commanders in the different military units in the whole country to place their forces under heightened security alert status to effect the arrest of the four fugitives and their leader Faeldon.

Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. also designated a probe body to conduct investigation as to the nature of the escape of four mutineers. He relieved the custodial management unit of Fort Bonifacio and replaced him with new one. (ZS)