Rebellion raps vs Laarni poised

Former actress Laarni Enriquez will be charged with rebellion today before the Mandaluyong City prosecutor’s office for allegedly giving shelter to renegade soldiers at the height of the July 27 mutiny by junior military officers and enlisted personnel.

The Mandaluyong City police will rely on the testimony of Enriquez’s friend, Liezl Magpoc, to prove the former actress was involved in the mutiny staged by soldiers calling themselves the Magdalo group.

In her affidavit, Magpoc said the house located on 461 JB Vargas st., Barangay Bagong Silang was owned by Enriquez, one of deposed President Joseph Estrada’s mistresses.

The house had been raided by lawmen led by National Capital Region Police Office chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco at the height of the mutiny staged by the Magdalo group at the posh Oakwood Premier Ayala Center condotel in Makati City.

Bandoliers of ammunition, as well as flags and armbands used by the mutineers and military uniforms and personal belongings of the Magdalo group were allegedly recovered by police from Enriquez’s house.

In a report, Velasco and Mandaluyong police chief Superintendent Ericson Velasquez said they already identified three Marine officers and 13 enlisted men who occupied Enriquez’s house at the height of the mutiny.

The soldiers were identified through identification cards, pay slips, firearms licenses, certificates, service records, Ranger handbooks, special orders and other documents found in the former actress’ house.

Despite the recovery of these pieces of evidence, however, the government has no direct evidence linking Enriquez to the mutiny, except for Magpoc’s statement.

Magpoc said Enriquez executed a deed of absolute sale of the property in Magpoc’s favor in March 2001. However, Magpoc also said she and Enriquez have an explicit understanding that the deed of sale was executed for convenience and was not meant to transfer beneficial ownership of the property.

Magpoc said Enriquez resorted to this transfer of ownership because she was encountering difficulties obtaining clearances and permits from Mandaluyong City Hall.

It would be easier to dispose of the property if it was not registered under Enriquez’s name, Magpoc quoted the former actress as saying. Magpoc also said she does not know any member of the Magdalo group.

While the police have yet to establish which military units they belong to, the Marines identified as having occupied Enriquez’s house were: Ruperto Reaso and Romulo Querado II; Lt. Rommel Bognalbal; Sgts. Jigger Paulba, Wilfredo Leal, Alexander Sicat and Mario Lopez, Cpl. Roel Molina; SSgts. Philip Vitales, Florencio Managan, Lorenzo Matias and Randy Matias; and Pfcs. Gregorio Sandagon and Lorenzo Bimmao.

The Mandaluyong City police will refer the cases of the 16 soldiers to the office of the Inspector General (IG) of the AFP because they are covered by the Articles of War.

Velasco has coordinated with AFP chief of staff Gen. Narciso Abaya to determine whether these Marines are among those who occupied Oakwood and returned to barracks at the end of the 22-hour standoff in Ayala Center, Makati.

In Manila, rebellion charges were filed against two persons who mobilized "forces for a fee" by recruiting soldiers to join the Oakwood siege.

The "recruited forces" failed to deploy after they were blocked and dispersed by elements of the Western Police District (WPD).

Charged with rebellion before the Manila prosecutor’s office were Alex Benasing of Block 9, Baseco Compound, Port Area and Carol Lozano of 981 Padilla Street, near the corner of JP Laurel St., both of Manila. Benasing and Lozano remain at large.

The charges against the suspects were based on the testimonies of eight witnesses who were reportedly among those recruited by Benasing and Lozano to participate in the "mobilization."

The investigation conducted by SPO2 Mario Salonga showed that Lozano recruited poor residents of the San Miguel community to participate in rallies to be staged at Mendiola, Manila and become human shields for the mutineers holed up at Oakwood.

Lozano recruited these people at 9:30 a.m. on July 27 inside her closed beauty parlor. Salonga said Lozano promised to pay each recruit P50.

Benasing did the same in Port Area, Manila, police said.

Barangay 649, Zone 68 chairman Teresita Lumactud spotted the "movement" and reported it to the police at the Bagong Lupa Community Precinct led by Senior Inspector Linsley Pillejera.

Investigations showed Benasing rented five passenger jeepneys for P5,000 to transport the people he had mobilized to Makati City. The drivers contracted by Benasing confirmed their deals with the suspect. — With Cecille Suerte Felipe