BI Commissioner Alipio Fernandez Jr. said the alleged coup plotters would not be allowed to leave the country since they have to face their respective criminal cases before the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Makati City regional trial court.
Fernandez said the order came from Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez upon the recommendation of Director Marcelo Ele Jr. of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Investigation and Detective Management Division.
Ele reportedly asked the BI to bar the alleged coup plotters from leaving the country following the filing of charges of rebellion and insurrection against them under Articles 134 and 135 of the Revised Penal Code.
Apart from Honasan, other former and active soldiers barred from leaving the country are: retired colonel Jake Malajacan, retired Navy captain Felix Turingan, Magdalo group members 1Lts. Lawrence San Juan, Angelbert Gay, and Patricio Bumidang, and 2Lt. Aldrin Baldonado.
Included in the list are party-list congressmen identified with militant, leftist groups — Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Crispin Beltran, Rafael Mariano, Teodoro Casiño, and Joel Virador — who are under the protective custody of the House of Representatives.
Leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines and National Democratic Front, including Jose Ma. Sison, Luis Jalandoni and Gregorio Rosal, are also included on the watch list.
Others on the BI watch list are spouses Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, Tirso Alcantara, Benjamin Mendoza, Vicente Ladlad, Nathanael Santiago, Sotero Llamas, Julio Atienza, Edilberto Escudero, Rosemarie Domanais, Rogelio Villanueva, Leo Velasco, Rafael Baylosis, Prudencio Calubid and Philip Limjoco.
The remaining names on the watch list include Julius Giron, Allan Jazmines, Antonio Cabanatan, Fidel Agcaoili, Edilberto Silva, Ma. Concepcion Araneta Bocala, Jorge Madlos, Eugenia Topacio, Francisco Fernandez, Carlos Borjal, Elizabeth Principe, Juliet Sison, Randall Echaniz, Rey Claro Casandre, Edwin Alcid, Tita Lubid, Abdias Guadania, Mike Gamara, lawyer Christopher Belmonte, Raffy Galvez and Edilberto Casilba.
Ferdinand Sampol, head supervisor of the BI-Ninoy Aquino International Airport, said they would refuse to process any documents of those included on the watch list should they turn up at NAIA to board departing flights.
"Then we’ll inform the DOJ and the PNP," particularly the office of Ele, Sampol told The STAR.
Sampol said all BI examiners at departure areas for international flights have been alerted about the updated watch list. The BI-NAIA will also post the list at all departure immigration lanes as an added guide for Immigration officers.
Meanwhile, controversial Marine Col. Ariel Querubin was tight-lipped upon arriving at the Manila Domestic Airport yesterday afternoon via a Cebu Pacific flight from Marawi City.
His wife Mariflor, who welcomed him at the airport and who talked with reporters while waiting for her husband’s plane to arrive, said she was deeply saddened while watching her husband’s emotional farewell speech before he left his post as 1st Marine Brigade commander in Marawi City.
Mariflor said she believes her husband was so affected by the recent change in the Philippine Marine leadership that he became emotional last Wednesday.
"He’s not like that," Mariflor told reporters.
Mariflor said she and her husband would go straight to Camp Aguinaldo, where they live, when he arrives.
When Querubin emerged from the arrival area of the domestic airport, he walked briskly to his wife and the couple immediately boarded a waiting van. The Querubins gave each other a tight embrace before the van sped out of the airport. — With Rainier Allan Ronda