YOU, RAM members to face police probers today

Top members of rightist military fraternities Young Officers Union (YOU) and Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa (RAM) are set to appear today before police investigators looking into the Dec. 31 killing of discharged Army Lt. Baron Alexander Cervantes.

Southern Police District (SPD) probers said police are to interview at 9:30 a.m. YOU co-founder Superintendent Diosdado Valeroso who was among the last persons Cervantes communicated with minutes before he was killed.

Cervantes, 35, was shot in the head on Dec. 31 while apparently waiting for someone at the corner of Times street and Alabang-Zapote road in Las Piñas City.

Cervantes, who supposedly had a spat with YOU and RAM leaders days before his death, was buried Sunday at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City.

Valeroso’s colleague in the YOU, Superintendent Rafael Cardeno, who allegedly made threats against Cervantes when Cardeno was implicated in a supposed coup plot in October last year, is also expected to be questioned by police.

Also set to appear before SPD probers are former Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, retired Brig. Gen. Edgardo Abenina, retired navy Capt. Proceso Maligalig and Army Col. Romeo David, all leading members of the RAM.

SPD director Chief Superintendent Jose Gutierrez said the police would be asking mostly clarificatory questions not necessarily directly connected to the slaying.

While Gutierrez said police are looking into all angles, Cervantes was supposedly killed for his revelation that some YOU and RAM members are plotting to stage a coup try against the government.

Cervantes had said the day before he was killed that the coup plotters met at the Puerto Azul resort in Ternate, Cavite on Dec. 18 to map out the coup try.

Hours before he was killed, Cervantes also delivered documents outlining the coup plot to the house of Pastor "Boy" Saycon, secretary general of the Council of Philippine Affairs (COPA).

Meanwhile, Palace officials vehemently denied that people close to President Arroyo were the ones behind Cervantes’ killing.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez, for whom Cervantes worked as an intelligence consultant, said the police are set to report "firm conclusions" on Cervantes’ killing within the next few days.

Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao also denied Cardeno’s charge that Palace officials were involved in the killing.

"That’s a complete falsehood. That’s an analysis plucked out of the blue and it doesn’t make sense," he said.

Police sources had said that Cardeno was among the suspects because of some comments he made when he was questioned at Camp Crame on Oct. 24 for supposed involvement in a coup plot.

Under questioning, he claimed that Cervantes had hired a hitman to kill him.

"Kung akala niya mauunahan niya ako, nagkakamali siya. Hindi ako pauuna sa kanya (If he thinks he can get me first, he’s mistaken. I won’t allow him to make the first strike)," a police source quoted Cardeno as saying.

Both Valeroso and Cardeno were linked to the so-called "Black October" coup plot but both police officials denied involvement in the supposed plot.

Both claimed that they were supportive of the Arroyo administration and were ready to help the administration "in any project, in any position."