Al-Barka massacre case now closed as AFP chief OKs penalties set by court martial

From InterAksyon (Jul 11): Al-Barka massacre case now closed as AFP chief OKs penalties set by court martial

The Al-Barka massacre where 19 members of the Army Special Forces were killed and 14 others seriously injured by Moro rebels in October 2011 is now deemed a closed case, after the approval of sanctions handed down by a court martial on two of four officers that it tried.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista has approved the decision of the court martial imposing the punishment of “50 files down and no command responsibility for 6 months” on Col. Aminkandra Undug.

Undug was commander of the Special Forces Regiment when the government troops were attacked while trying to serve warrants on wanted elements in an area controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf  Group.

Earlier in January, the court martial found him guilty on one of the 3 Articles of War charged against him.

Another officer,  Lt. Col. Leonardo Pena, former commander of the 4th Special Forces Battalion, was found guilty Wednesday for violation of AW 97 (Disorders and Neglect to the Prejudice of Good Order and Military Discipline). He was punished “200 files down and stripped of command responsibility for two years,” meaning he cannot be promoted until 200 men in rank below him get promoted.

Col. Alexander Macario, former commander of the Special Joint Task Force-Basilan, and Lt. Col. Orlando Edralin, former commandant of the Special Forces School, were originally included in the charges but were  cleared.

Macario is Inspector General (IG) of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division and Edralin is deputy camp commander in Awang, Maguindanao.

The controversial mission that led to the bloodbath had more than 8 soldiers deployed to serve warrants on suspected criminals in Barangay Cambug, Al-Barka, Basilan.

There, they were attacked by 300 armed men from the 114th Base Command of the MILF and some elements from the Abu Sayyaf.

The officers were tried by a court martial as investigation indicated errors in deploying the soldiers and lapses in preparation.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/66104/al-barka-massacre-case-now-closed-as-afp-chief-oks-penalties-set-by-court-martial