Manila - Nine Philippine army officers convicted of taking part in a coup d'etat in 2003 said Friday they plan to seek a presidential pardon and urged their fellow soldiers not to repeat their mistakes.

Two of the officers, Captains Gerardo Gambala and Milo Maestrecampo, were sentenced to life imprisonment, while the rest received jail sentences of between six years and 12 years on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, the officers apologized for the failed mutiny in July 2003, when more than 300 soldiers seized a shopping complex in the financial district of Makati to demand the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and top military officers.

"We have trudged the wrong path when we crossed the boundary of professionalism and adventurism as we got lost along the way," they said. "We apologize to the Filipino people. We humbly ask for your forgiveness for our act of rebellion."

While the officers said they have accepted the court's verdict, they said they were seeking mercy and planning to apply for presidential pardon.

"We know in our hearts that we are guilty," they said. "We have nothing more to hold on to except to continually seek for mercy and grace from God and the authorities we have submitted ourselves to."

Gambala added that their lawyers were already preparing the papers for the application for presidential pardon.

"We are applying for pardon," he said. "We have already made necessary communications (with our lawyers). Our lawyers are now working on it."

The convicted officers urged their fellow soldiers to avoid intervening in politics, warning that such actions would only worsen the tense situation in the country.

"We appeal to our fellow soldiers not to emulate our actions," they said. "For no matter how noble our intentions were, what we did can never be justified. We came to realize that true change starts from within one's own heart."

The Philippine military has been on alert against unrest among its army ranks amid persistent calls for Arroyo to quit over allegations of corruption and electoral fraud. Officials have repeatedly reminded soldiers not to heed politicians seeking their support. (dpa)