‘Kuratong Baleleng cops in charge of Mahusay’

Eugenio "Udong" Mahusay Jr. said yesterday that he was taken into protective custody by former police officers identified with the Kuratong Baleleng rubout case after he squealed on the reported money laundering activities of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

One of the men Mahusay identified was former Philippine National Police (PNP) Traffic Management Group (TMG) chief Senior Superintendent Francisco Zubia, implicated as one of the principal accused in the alleged summary execution of the Kuratong Baleleng robbery gang members in May 1995.

Former PNP chief and now Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who was also charged as a principal suspect in the reopened Kuratong Baleleng multiple murder case, took Mahusay into his "protective custody" after Mahusay exposed the bank accounts supposedly belonging to the First Gentleman under the alias Jose Pidal.

"Based on cartographic sketches, which were drawn (from) the descriptions provided by Udong, the men who have taken him (to) different safehouses turned out to be Kuratong cops," an official told The STAR. "And one of them was Colonel Zubia."

Zubia allegedly led several other police officers implicated in the Kuratong Baleleng rubout in moving Mahusay from a safehouse at the Fort in Fort Bonifacio, Makati City to the Milestone View Apartel in Tagaytay City, Batangas on Aug. 27.

It was from this safehouse that Udong was recovered by his family, led by his wife Judy Ann, and their wedding godfather Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairman Michael Defensor.

Zubia allegedly left two other policemen implicated in the Kuratong Baleleng case to guard Mahusay at the Tagaytay safehouse.

The official, who asked that his name be withheld, refused to say if any formal complaint would be filed against Zubia and the others involved in the matter of Mahusay’s transfer from the Makati safehouse to Tagaytay, since Mahusay went to Lacson’s office of his own volition when he made allegations against the First Gentleman.

The First Gentleman earlier said Lacson made moves against him in order to wriggle out of the Kuratong Baleleng case in anticipation of an adverse ruling by the Supreme Court to revive the case for trial.

Meanwhile, the Lacson camp accused Mahusay’s family, led by Mahusay’s wife and two brothers, of making false claims that Mahusay has been missing for two months.

An informant from Lacson’s camp said they have the documents to prove that the Mahusay couple checked in together at a beach resort in Panglao, Bohol on Aug. 14.

As of yesterday, Mahusay had not yet officially manifested whether he would recant his sworn affidavit against the First Gentleman.

Lacson’s camp also warned that Mahusay faces perjury charges if he recants his three-page sworn statement.

Mahusay’s wife, however, claimed Mahusay complained to her of "additions" to his affidavit, which were not in his original statement.

Mahusay and the First Gentleman are set to appear at the first public hearing of the case filed by Lacson against Mr. Arroyo before a joint hearing of three Senate committees tomorrow.