Arroyo urged to pardon officers over 2003 coup plot

Manila: The Philippine defence and military chiefs urged President Gloria Arroyo on Sunday to pardon nine young military officers who publicly apologised after being convicted of staging a failed 2003 coup plot.

Pardoning the officers would boost Arroyo's efforts to foster reconciliation in a country besieged by communist and Muslim insurgencies, said Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

Teodoro and military chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon urged Arroyo in a joint statement to pardon the nine officers, who were convicted and sentenced by a court last week to prison terms of 12 to 40 years.

Esperon said the officers have shown remorse and good behaviour during nearly five years of detention, which he said served as a warning that military adventurism was not the way to seek reforms.

Esperon said, "These junior officers were led astray by wrong beliefs but have realised their grave mistakes."

During the July 2003 coup attempt, the officers and about 300 other soldiers took over the upscale Oakwood hotel and a nearby shopping centre in Manila's financial district of Makati, rigging the area with bombs. They denounced corruption in the government and military.

They surrendered after the uprising and were detained.

Gambala and the eight other officers were convicted last week after deciding to change their pleas to guilty. Gambala and fellow Captain Milo Maestrecampo were sentenced to 40 years and the seven others to 12 years.

The 2003 coup attempt was one of Arroyo's most serious challenges since she took power in a 2001 "people power" uprising that ousted her predecessor, Joseph Estrada, on charges of corruption.

Arroyo, who has used her power to grant pardons to reach out to her adversaries, has survived four attempted power grabs and three opposition impeachment attempts in her seven turbulent years in power.