Ex-Marine colonel to face military court for ‘oust-government’ video

MANILA, Philippines — A newly retired Marine colonel will be tried before a military court for calling for the government’s ouster in a video posted in the Internet last July.

Retired Col. Generoso Mariano was charged with violation of Articles of War 61 (making provoking speeches), 63 (disrespect towards the President) and 96 (conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman), a Navy spokesman announced Monday.

Navy Flag Officer in Command (FOIC) Vice Admiral Alexander Pama approved the recommendation of a special Navy investigating committee that looked into Mariano’s video dated July 1.

Mariano retired from the service on July 17 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

“As of August 12, FOIC approved the following recommendation: that he be charged with violation of Articles of War 61, 63 and 96 and that the charges be referred to a pre-trial investigation,” the Navy spokesman, Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay, said.

“The PTI (pre-trial investigation) will commence upon receipt of directive from the FOIC,” he added.

In his videotaped message posted in Youtube, Mariano complained about rising prices of food, commodities and medicine and accused the government of failing to “save us from hunger and death.”

“What our people see and feel is not different from what we soldiers feel. But we have a duty that we have not forgotten, the duty to protect the Filipino people. And if the incumbent government has no intention or if it does not do anything to save the lives of many, it is the duty, it is the right of every Filipino including soldiers to replace the government, I repeat replace the government,” Mariano had declared.

The video came to the attention of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shortly before Mariano retired.

Mariano has since been ordered restricted to his quarters in Fort Bonifacio while he was investigated whether he should be brought to court martial.

During the hearing of the special investigating panel last July 20, Mariano claimed his remarks were aimed at a “hypothetical government” and not at the incumbent government.