Negrense Army Capt. Milo Maestrecampo and eight other Magdalo leaders who were granted executive clemency by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, are now free men after five years in detention cells.

Maestrecampo and eight of his colleagues were released yesterday from the custody of Army chief Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado, after completing their medical examinations and securing a release order from the Makati Regional Trial Court,. Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Army spokesman, said.

Brawner said the release of nine convicted Magdalo military officers to their counsel, Elaine Rombaoa, was pursuant to General Orders Number 10 signed by President Arroyo.

Maestrecampo and eight of his colleagues signed a Joint Sworn Acceptance of Conditional Pardon at their detention cells in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. In it, they stated their acceptance of conditions that they will be permanently disqualified from rendering military service; shall not commit any crime or felony or participate in a coup d' etat, or other forms of military adventurism.

Ibrado who relinquished yesterday his position as chief of  the AFP Central Command to Air Force Lt. Gen. Pedro Ike Insierto at Camp Lapu-Lapu in Cebu, said he is planning to meet with the nine officers after their release.

"I will talk to them on a personal level, if I can help them in any way," he said.

Ibrado was the head of academy's warfare department when Maestrecampo and eight of his colleagues were still cadets at the Philippine Military Academy.

The nine pardoned military officers had sought forgiveness from President Arroyo and the Filipino people after their conviction for staging the mutiny with 300 soldiers in 2003.

However, the group of ex-Navy Lt. and now Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, including Sipalay Army Capt. Gary Alejano, refused to plead guilty of coup d’etat charges, and are still behind bars.

Brawner said the nine Magdalo soldiers commit to a new life and be useful citizens again by making part of their advocacies telling other soldiers not to emulate them.

Seventeen other Magdalo leaders who were discharged dishonorably from the military service, including 2Lt. Julius Navales of La Carlota City, are now employed as regular agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Brawner said the order formally discharging Maestrecampo and his eight companions from the service will be issued immediately.

Meanwhile, the lawyer of Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon, a fugitive Magdalo leader with a P1 million reward, said her client wished the nine pardoned officers well in their future plans.

Aside from the Oakwood mutiny, Faeldon is also wanted for the takeover in November last year of the Manila Peninsula Hotel by a group of Magdalo members led by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Trixie Angeles, counsel of Faeldon, reiterated that her client would only seek pardon from the President "when hell freezes over."*GPB

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