PNP officer pins down Honasan

A police officer claiming to be a leader of the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc. (PGBI) chaired by Sen. Gregorio Honasan pinned down the opposition lawmaker yesterday as part of the mutiny in Makati City last July 27.

In a two-page sworn statement, Chief Inspector Leborio Jangao Jr. of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation Division Group (CIDG) said PGBI members informed him about the coup plot as early as June.

Malacañang, on the other hand, remained steadfast in its decision not to lift the state of rebellion.

This developed as Jane Honasan, the wife of the opposition senator, claimed her husband would surface only if the government lifts the state of rebellion.

But Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said President Arroyo would lift the state of rebellion "at an appropriate time."

At the height of the July 27 mutiny staged by a group of young officers and servicemen who called themselves the Magdalo faction, Mrs. Arroyo issued Proclamation 47 placing the entire country under a state of rebellion.

The proclamation authorized the Armed Forces to go after the rebels and those who supported the latest power grab.

Various sectors joined some legislators and the business community in calling for Mrs. Arroyo to lift the state of rebellion on fears of its adverse effects on the economy and curtailment of civil rights.

"(This is) not based on request of anyone, neither of Senator Honasan nor Congress (and) not the businessmen, but she (President) would do so at a proper time when she thinks it’s appropriate to lift the state of rebellion," Bunye said.

Bunye hastily clarified though that Mrs. Arroyo would lift the state of rebellion only after Honasan surfaces to face the charges.

"All we are saying is the senator is assured of due process," he said.

Although he denied being part of the latest power grab, Honasan has gone into hiding after charges of coup d’etat were filed against him Monday.

Part Of The Problem

The government said they have many witnesses to prove that the opposition senator participated in the coup plot.

Among them is Jangao, who claimed he was privy to the coup attempt but claimed he advised some of the members against joining the planned coup and align themselves with the government.

Jangao will be one of the 10 witnesses to be presented by the PNP-CIDG against Honasan and other respondents.

Jangao claimed that on the eve of the mutiny, July 26, he received text messages from various members of the Guardians from all over the country informing him of the coup in its initial stages.

The police officer said the developments prompted him to assemble his group members for a prayer rally at EDSA Shrine to show their support for the government.

The police officer identified himself as the founder of the Dauntless Ingenious Advocator Banner Liberty and Oneness (Diablo) Squad Crime Buster, the predecessor organization of Gentlemen United Associate Rays Dauntless Ingenious Advocator of Nations and Society (Guardians) with membership nationwide.

Jangao recalled that during the EDSA revolution of 1986, his organization supported the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) founded by then Lt. Col. Honasan.

He said some factions of the Guardians went separate ways after Honasan launched several coup attempts against President Corazon Aquino.

In March 2000, Jangao said Honasan and 13 other close associates including himself, formed the PGBI as a non-stock, non-profit corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

"I gave way to Senator Honasan to be the national chairman of the new organization and as such, he presided over meetings, made plans, programs and activities," Jangao said.

"However, after one year, I together with some other leaders of PGBI withdrew our support for Senator Honasan because of his failure to unify the various factions of Guardians," he added.

Eventually, Jangao said he learned that the opposition senator launched his National Recovery Program (NRP) at Plaza Miranda, Manila on June 24.

Honasan has been charged of coup along with Capt. Felix Turingan, retired Col. Ernesto Macahiya, a certain Colonel Lazo and a certain Colonel Briones.

Former Honasan chief of staff George Duldulao and one Lina Reyes were also charged with rebellion along with 1,000 John and Jane Does.

Although Honasan is no longer in the military, government lawyers said he was charged with coup d’etat in his capacity as a government official.

Aside from Jangao, witnesses include CIDG chief Director Eduardo Matillano, Makati City police force members Senior Inspector Celerino Sacro, Senior Police Officer 3 (SPO3) Carmencito Macasaet, SPO1 Delfin Monteloyola, Senior Insp. Benjamin Ducut Jr., Chief Insp. Monica Castro, PO3 Dahlia Carls and Superintendent Victor Loares.

‘Making Himself Felt’

The Makati police officers said they blocked about a thousand people coming from different directions and who wanted to proceed to Oakwood Premier Ayala Center and support the rebel soldiers.

They claimed the rallyists, who were identified as members of the PGBI, carried streamers calling for the ouster of Mrs. Arroyo and espousing the NRP of Honasan.

According to Macasaet, he came to know one Lina Reyes as one of the leaders of those who wanted to support the rebel soldiers in Oakwood.

For his part, Ducut said there were also some civilians on board jeepneys and private cars who were trying to assemble. He learned they were from Laguna, Pasay City, Paranaque City and Cavite and were supposed to go to EDSA Shrine to wait for other members.

Loares, for his part, identified Macahiya as another leader of the rebel group.

Macahiya reportedly said they would join the military rebels and bring them food but the police did not allow them.

One of those charged, Duldulao, chairman of the PGBI national secretariat, said they have no plans of convincing Honasan to come out and face the charges.

Duldulao said Honasan is merely "making himself felt" through telephone. In fact, he said the senator "called to let us know he was just near, (here) in Metro Manila."

"He (Honasan) has his own mind. Hindi rin siya nakakasiguro na safe siya pag lumutang siya under this environment (He cannot assume his safety under the prevailing political environment)," he said.

For his part, Duldulao said he does not have any plan of hiding. He said he would face the charges against him.

Duldulao maintained the PGBI was not involved in any way in the July 27 rebellion.

He also said that the protest march made by the PGBI that day was a "coincidence" since it was meant to be an anti-SONA rally.

Duldulao explained that their protest march was supposed to take place at the EDSA Shrine but they were blocked by the police at the corner of EDSA and Ayala.

Duldulao believed that what transpired in Makati was "a script to make a scenario that will link PGBI to the Magdalo Group (of the mutineers)," who had been pushing for the NRP of Honasan.

"We will file our counter-affidavit in the coming days. I am not going to hide since I am only a commoner unlike Senator Honasan," Duldulao said in Filipino.

Another PGBI faction led by Boy de la Cruz declared yesterday morning that their 600,000-strong PGBI Pasay City chapter will support Honasan "all the way."

"We support our president and Grand Supremo. (We will give him) all kinds of support," De la Cruz declared. — With Marichu Villanueva, Katherine Adraneda