22 more alleged coup plotters charged

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has filed coup d’ etat charges against 22 more military officers, five of whom are retired, in connection with the failed mutiny in Makati City on July 27 last year.

In its complaint filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ), the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) identified the military officers as retired Colonels Tito Legaspi, Dante Bernarte, Melchor Acosta, Arsenio Santos Jr., Andy Gauran and Captain Herbert Avinante.

The other accused are Col. Pompeo Limbo, Lt. Col. Demy Tejares, Capts. Fermin Mabulo, Peter Paul Iringan, Nicolas Danao Jr., Dante Langkit, German Galam, Nerelito Pascual Jr. and Bayani Augusto Ferrer, 1st Lts. Allan Van Estrerra, Ricky Canatoy, Bernard Rocio, Elvin Rivera and Ronald Allan Uy, all of the Philippine Army.

Lt. Anchises Alfonso Diola of the Navy and 2nd Lt. Randahl Ambi of the Marines were also included in the charge sheet.

In his complaint affidavit, CIDG deputy director Superintendent Charlemagne Alejandrino said the 22 were among those involved in the plot to overthrow the Arroyo administration and install a military junta led by opposition Sen. Gregorio Honasan.

Last year, government prosecutors ordered the dismissal of criminal charges against 290 soldiers due to insufficient evidence to indict them in court.

The DOJ, however, filed charges against 31 officers before the Makati City regional trial court.

Part of the evidence against these military officers who stand accused of coup d’ etat is the testimony of Col. Enrique Cabos of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Inspector General’s Office.

In his affidavit, Cabos said the siege of the posh Oakwood Premier condotel in Ayala Center, Makati City "was part of a larger planned and coordinate swift attack accompanied by violence, intimidation, threat, strategy of stealth directed against duly-constituted authorities of the Philippines for the purpose of overthrowing the duly-constituted government of President Arroyo."

Cabos identified the leaders of the uprising as Honasan, Capt. Felix Turingan, Legaspi, Bernate, Acosta, Santos, Gauran, Avinante, Limbo and Tejares.

The DOJ dropped the charges against the 290 other accused because the soldiers and enlisted personnel said they were only misled into joining the short-lived mutiny.

Despite the fact that the coup d’ etat charges against them were dropped, the 290 soldiers still face a separate lawsuit for violating the Articles of War pending before a court martial.