JAMES LAYUG "MAGDALO" for Congressman

April 20, 2010

RECENTLY released Magdalo leader and Taguig congressional bet James Layug vowed to continue the fight started by his group seven years ago when they seized the Oakwood Hotel in Makati city to protest alleged corruption in the military and the government.

Layug said their prolonged detention did not diminish their desire to continue their advocacies for good governance and reform. He said these advocacies which he shares with other Magdalo officers, some of whom are still in detention, is the reason why he decided to run for public office.

“Itong pulitika na ito na aming ipaglalaban ay isang pulitika na kakatawan sa boses ng masa, ipaglalaban ang interes ng bayan, babantayan ang kalikasan at maglilingkod ng tapat sa mamamayan. Kung kaya’t kami ay aktibong lalahok sa halalan upang maisulong ang pagbabago at reporma sa pamahalaan sa parlyamentaryong pamamaraan,” he added.

Layug said his campaign is utilizing some 4,000 supporters and popular social networking sites like You Tube, Facebook and Twitter to get his message across to voters in the city’s second district. He said his priorities are improved healthcare, access to education and a drug-free community.

Taguig’s second district has 13 barangays, including Fort Bonifacio where military personnel and retirees live. – Ashzel Hachero

By Dateline Philippines

MANILA, Philippines – A freed Oakwood mutineer on Monday vowed to continue espousing the advocacy of the Magdalo group, but this time, through parliamentary means.

James Layug, former member of the elite Navy Special Warfare and Operations Group (Swag), is running for congressman in the 2nd district of Taguig City.  He is one of ten Oakwood mutineers ordered freed by the Armed Forces (AFP) leadership after a military tribunal issued a ‘time-served’ verdict in a plea bargain agreement.

“And this is why we will actively participate in the coming elections to forward our goals of changing and reforming the government in the parliamentary way,” Layug said in a statement, a day after he was released from military custody.

The other members of the Magdalo seeking public office are former Air Force Captain Ashley Acedillo who is running as representative in the 1st district of Cebu and Gary Alejano, a mayoral bet in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.

“Sa aming paglaya ay dala namin ang commitment upang ipagpatuloy ang aming mga ipinaglabang adbokasiya sa Oakwood at isulong ang Bagong Pulitika [In our freedom, we bring with us our commitment to continue our advocacy in Oakwood and to push for new politics],” Layug said.

A product of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), Layug explained their “new politics” is anchored on the principles of nationalism, patriotism, idealism and altruism.

“Our politics will truly represent the voice of the people; (politics) that will fight for the interest of the nation, safeguard our environment and create faithful public servants,” Layug said.

Layug and Alejano were among the Magdalo members that were released from the ISAFP compound in Camp Aguinaldo. The other eight are still detained and awaiting bail at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

General Delfin Bangit, AFP chief, ordered the release of the 10 Magdalo soldiers on Sunday, a week after a military tribunal converted to “time served” the eight months prison term for the 10 soldiers who admitted before the tribunal that they were guilty of violating the Articles of War in connection with the Manila Penn siege in late 2007.

“I would like to give credit to the present AFP leadership for their professionalism in accepting and respecting the decision of the General Court Martial on our case,” Layug said.

Layug and several others have been in detention for six years and nine months since the short-lived Oakwood mutiny ended on July 27, 2003.

The other Magdalo soldiers awaiting bail are LTsg Eugene Gonzales, Ltsg Andy Torrato, LTsg Manuel Cabochan, Air Force Capt Dan Orfiano, LTjg Arturo Pascua, Air Force Lt Billy Pascua, Lt Jonneil Sangalang, and Lt Armand Pontejos. (Anthony Vargas)

Taguig City political campaign
April 12, 2010

DETAINED Magdalo congressional candidate James Layug believes that his campaign is gaining grounds and that “People Politics” is breaking the hold of the traditional political campaigning in the second district of Taguig City.

With his campaign slogan “Ikaw at Ako ang Lakas ng Pagbabago” he explained that the ultimate source of power is the people. “We empower the people by getting them involved in this political exercise. The change that we want is in our hands. If we want a better future for our children then we should act and do something about it now.” Layug said.

He described people politics to be the “Bayanihan” effort of more than 4,000 volunteers who are going around the district doing door-to-door campaigning representing him, selling the Bagong Katipunan ideals and communicating his advocacies despite his absence on the ground.

Layug advocates good governance, people empowerment, peace and order, social equity, justice and environmental protection while the Bagong Katipunan ideals is the new politics espoused by the Magdalo anchored on nationalism, patriotism, idealism, and altruism.

Aside from conveying the political message of Layug, the said volunteer campaign workers also conduct social investigation in order to grasps the needs and sentiment of the people making their campaign effort productive and more meaningful.

Layug also uses the social networking sites on the net such as facebook, youtube, twitter and his website www.jameslayug.com to reach out to his constituents on the web. He is currently detained at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City for his participation in the Oakwood 2003 and Manila Peninsula 2007 incident.

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By Ellen Tordesillas
April 9, 2010

A military tribunal sentenced on Wednesday to eight months in prison 10 former military officers from the reformist group Magdalo for their their participation in the November 2007 incident at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City, their lawyer said yesterday.

The 10, led by Magdalo core leaders Lt. (sg) James Layug and Capt. Gary Alejano, were given the light verdict after pleading guilty to all the four remaining charges filed against them before the court headed by Maj. Gen. Eduardo Oban.
The eight other officers were Lts. (sg) Eugene Gonzales, Andy Torrato, Manuel Cabochan; Capt Dan Orfiano; Lt. (jg) Arturo Pascua; and 1Lts. Billy Pascua, Jonnel Sangalang, and Armand Pontejos.

Lawyer Ed Abaya said his clients pleaded guilty to charges of violation of Articles of War 63 (disrespect to the President), 96 (conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman), 97 (conduct prejudicial to good order and military discipline) and 70 (escape from confinement). The charge of mutiny was dropped.

Abaya said he and his clients tried to enter into a plea bargaining agreement, by pleading guilty to one of the charge in exchange for the dropping of the three other offenses, but the prosecution opposed it.

Abaya said the court, in handing down the sentence, credited the detention of his clients since the commission of the alleged crime. The accused actually have been in detention since July 2003 for their participation in what is called Oakwood mutiny.

On November 28, 2007, the ten officers together with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim walked out of the hearing of their coup d’etat case at the sala of Judge Oscar Pimentel at the Makati Regional Court and proceeded to the Manila Peninsula where they declared withdrawal of support from Gloria Arroyo.

Last February , Makati Regional Trial Court Judge Elmo Alameda granted the petition for bail of the accused who include Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Brig.Gen. Danilo Lim, the ten officers and six former enlisted men saying that what happened in Nov 2007 was not rebellion but simply contempt of court. He set a P200,000 bail for each of the accused.

The six enlisted men were released on bail. Alejano, who is running for mayor in Sipalay, Negros Occidental and James Layug, who is running for congressman in the second district of Taguig city, posted bail but the military took custody of them because of the court martial case. They are now detained at the ISAFP compound in Camp Aguinaldo.
The eight other officers are detained in Camp Crame custodial center.

Trillanes was not included in the court martial case because he was no longer in the military at the time of the Manila Pen incident.

Capt Nicanor Faeldon, who escaped during the Manila Pen siege, was also charged with mutiny and several other charges.

Abaya said the latest development will pave the way for his clients’ eventual freedom. “They are going o go out. Their period of detention is more than two years (since the Manila Peninsula Hotel siege).They should be ordered released, unless there are pending cases before the military tribunal,” he said.

Abaya said the verdict would be referred to Armed Forces chief Gen. Delfin Bangit, the court’s convening authority, for review. Nevertheless, he said he expects the military leadership to uphold the the court’s decision.- with report by Victor Reyes

Related links:

http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=9638
http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=9594

FilAmNation
3/30/2010

The Philippine National Police (PNP) want to place under the list of election hot spots seven key cities in Metro Manila, a high-ranking police official revealed on Monday.

Police Director Roberto Rosales, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), told reporters that their assessment of the seven cities showed that the contest for the local positions up for grabs on May 10 would result be intense and could result in violence.

“It is not yet final [listing the cities as hotspots] and we are still conducting continuous assessment,” Rosales said adding that police intelligence reports could play a vital role in their recommendation that the seven cities under watch be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“We had a survey in the cities here in Metro Manila, and those hotly contested, especially for the positions of mayor, vice mayor, and congressmen—and we were able to identify these cities,” Rosales said after attending the weekly flag-raising ceremonies at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

According to Rosales, the cities in Metro Manila that they are closely monitoring are Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Taguig, Makati, Pasay, Manila and Quezon City.

He explained that the seven cities are habitual areas of concern during the past elections because of the “intense political rivalry” for the local posts.

The PNP leadership earlier classified 571 cities and municipalities as election areas of concern and 118 of these are found in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) where Maguindanao is located.

Maguindanao gained notoriety for the massacre on November 23 of 58 people including 32 journalists allegedly perpetrated by Ampatuan clan of the province. Besides the journalists, those who were killed were supporters of a politician who intended to run against a younger Ampatuan for the governorship of Maguindanao.

BY SAMMY MARTIN Reporter

The Manila Times