Lieutenant Colonel Leonardo Peña, one of the four Army officers who were court-martialed in connection with the October 2011 bloodbath in Basilan that left 19 special forces killed and 18 others wounded, has returned to duty as a commander.
The bloodbath involving the 4th SF Battalion, then under the operational command of Peña, took place in Barangay Cambug. The special forces were to serve arrest warrants on hardened criminals when they were attacked by combined elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Abu Sayyaf Group and private armed groups.
Peña then was barely in his three months as commander of the SF battalion when the incident happened.
The rebels and bandits were led by Long Malat Sulayman and Furuji Indama of the MILF and ASG, respectively.
On Monday, Peña, a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Sambisig” Class 1991, was installed commander of the 61st Infantry Battalion based in Visayas.
Apart from Peña, also subjected to court martial were Col. Aminkadra Undug, former commander of the Special Forces Regiment who was convicted for violation of articles of war 96 (Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and Gentleman) and 97 (Disorders and Neglect to the Prejudice of Good Order and Military Discipline); Col. Alexander Macario, former commander of the Special Force Task Force-Basilan, who was acquitted of 96 and 97; and Lt. Col. Orlando Edralin, former commandant of the Special Forces School, was also acquitted of AW 97 charges.
Originally, Pena was charged with violations of AW 96, 97 and 84 (Willful or Negligent Loss, Damage or Wrongful Disposition), the first and last of which he was able to get away with.
“The verdict against Lt. Col. Pena is 200 -files-down in rank and two years suspension both in command,” the court martial CM panel member and now retired Col. Jose Feliciano Loy said.
“Wala tayong magagawa, Unang-una, hindi natin ginusto ang nangyari. As far as I am concerned I have to accept the verdict even with a heavy heart. This I can tell you, dito ako nadapa, dito rin ako babangon,” Pena then said.
Loy explained that the 200-files-down sentence on Pena provided that the accused would not be promoted to the next rank until the 200 officers just below him overtook his current rank.
He is also being denied command assignment for two years.
Peña, a native of Batangas, replaced Lt. Col. Victor Llapitan.
Peña is a graduate of Master of Science in Defense Analysis (National Security Affairs) in Naval Post Graduare School in California, U.S.A. and Master in Public Management Major in Development and Security from the Development Academy of the Philippines.
