Two of the 53 junior military officers among those who joined the short-lived Oakwood mutiny who are Negrenses, are now free after four years at a military detention facility in Metro Manila.

They are ILt. Julius Navales of La Carlota City and 2Lt Laurefel Gabales of Silay City .

However, two other military officers, also Negrenses, and among the 12 Magdalo core leaders – Captains Milo Maestrecampo and Gary Alejano – are still detained because of coup d'etat charges filed against them before the Makati Regional Trial Court.

Navales and Gabales were among the 53 junior military officers who were freed Thursday, on orders of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The 53 military officers pleaded on April 12 for conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline in exchange for the dropping of charges against them. Instead of serving the seven years imprisonment, it was trimmed down to three years due to some mitigating circumstances, military said.

Navales, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class '95, spent almost eight years of his military career in Mindanao , his cousin, Carla Canet, said.

Gabales, on the other hand, is a member of PMA Class 2000.

Maestrecampo of Talisay City, Negros Occidental, and 11 other Magdalo core leaders earlier pleaded guilty before a military court to violation of Article of War 96, or conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman, in an apparent-plea bargaining deal to escape further time in jail.

Alejano of Sipalay City, who had been also charged for attempting a coup d'etat, is also facing an additional charge of rebellion, for joining Navy LTSG-turned-Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in the Nov. 29 Makati standoff.

AFP chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon said the 53 officers will be separated from the service and released as civilians, but will be entitled to receive their military benefits.

The 53 were supposed to be released on Jan. 27 next year, Esperon, however, said “the President decided to commute that by more than a month so they could enjoy Christmas with their families”.

Majority of the 53 freed officers want to be reinstated back to active military service, but Esperon said that must be put in writing and studied carefully.*GPB/AFP

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