Enrile first to be arrested

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile was arrested on charges of rebellion yesterday at his mansion in Makati City by heavily armed police led by Superintendent Reynaldo Berroya, Philippine National Police (PNP) intelligence chief.

Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño said the PNP charged Enrile with rebellion along with 11 other key opposition figures including Sen. Gregorio Honasan, former Ambassador to Washington Ernesto Maceda and former PNP chief Panfilo Lacson; police Chief Superintendent Victor Batac, Senior Superintendents Michael Ray Aquino and Cesar Mancao, and Superintendent Diosdado Valeroso; Ronald Lumbao, president of the People’s Movement Against Poverty; and a certain Cesar Tanega.

All of them were also placed on the hold-departure list. As of 7 last night, PNP intelligence officials were verifying reports that Lacson, who is running for senator under the banner of the opposition Laban-Puwersa ng Masa coalition, and Aquino have fled the country through the southern backdoor.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said Enrile and his co-accused would remain in jail while the cases against them are pending because rebellion is a non-bailable offense.

Perez could not tell reporters why Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Estrada’s son Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito were not included in the charge.

"There are things we apparently don’t know," he said.

Under a state of rebellion, the government has the power to make warrantless arrests, he added.

Although Enrile told reporters that he disagreed with the reason for his arrest, he said he went voluntarily with the police because he would be arrested anyway.

Enrile was the first to be arrested without a warrant based on President Arroyo’s declaration yesterday of a "state of rebellion" in Metro Manila after supporters of ousted President Joseph Estrada stormed Malacañang to demand the removal of Mrs. Arroyo.

"I do not want to say whether (my arrest is legal or not), I would discuss it later," the re-electionist senator said.

Ironically, Enrile as secretary of defense signed the arrest orders of thousands of political opponents of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos when he declared martial law on Sept. 21, 1972.

Zuño said the Department of Justice had sent prosecutors, led by State Prosecutor Anthony Fadullon, to Camp Crame in Quezon City to process the criminal complaints filed by the PNP.

Enrile had reportedly spent the night in jail at Camp Crame as he was not able to post a bail of P12,000, yesterday being a holiday.

Criminal charges against Enrile are expected to be filed today or anytime this week before the regional trial courts of Pasig and Manila.

Maceda told ABS-CBN News yesterday that he would turn himself in whenever the police wanted, while Lacson said his lawyers would question the arrest order in court.

Berroya said the arrests were ordered in connection with the bloody rally of pro-Estrada demonstrators who tried to storm Malacañang yesterday.

Acting under state of rebellion powers, PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza said he has created numerous police teams that would arrest without warrants people suspected of involvement in the assault of Malacañang.

Mendoza said he has assigned Chief Superintendent Nestorio Gualberto, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, as head of the task forces.

Policemen headed by Senior Superintendent Jesus Verzosa went to Honasan’s house in Parang, Marikina City but the former rebel Army colonel was able to elude them.

Batac and Valeroso surrendered to police authorities at Camp Crame yesterday and are now under the custody of PNP Intelligence Group.

Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo issued yesterday a hold-departure order for Enrile, Honasan, Maceda and Lacson, and six other persons, including two retired generals.

Barred from leaving the country are Enrile, Honasan, Lacson, Maceda, retired general Jake Malajacan and Tanega, Mancao, Valeroso, Batac and Lombao.

Domingo told reporters Santiago was not issued a hold-departure order "because she is not in the proper frame of mind."

The names of the 10 are pasted in bold, big letters at the immigration departure counters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the Centennial Terminal, and sent by fax to sub-ports all over the country.

Domingo said she issued the hold-departure orders on instructions of Secretary Perez before charges are filed against them in court.

"The courts are closed today," she said. "These suspected coup leaders and plotters may take advantage of the holiday because there are no courts to receive the cases to be filed against them which is the reason why we have to issue hold-departure orders against them."

On the other hand, NAIA General Manager Edgardo Manda told reporters yesterday airport police are closely monitoring all departing passengers.

Manda said he has also suspended flights of private aircraft for an "indefinite period" except medical flights, which would be allowed upon approval of the Air Transportation Office.

"Suspension of the operations of the General Aviation will continue until further notice," he said.

Manda said security men have set up checkpoints in strategic areas leading to NAIA, Centennial Terminal, and the Domestic Airport.

NAIA operations remained normal yesterday and no flights were canceled or delayed, he added.

Meanwhile, about 10 military and police organizations, including the Young Officers Union, urged the Arroyo administration yesterday to file before the Commission on Elections disqualification proceedings against senatorial and other candidates who had allegedly agitated Estrada supporters to hold a bloody rally in front of Malacañang. – With Rey Arquiza, Chrstina Mendez, Jaime Laude, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Romel Bagares