Top Honasan aide captured in Laguna

One of the five most wanted fugitives charged in the Oakwood mutiny in July 2003 was captured by joint military and police operatives in Los Baños, Laguna yesterday.

Calabarzon police chief Senior Superintendent Aaron Fidel said Ernesto Macahiya, who has a P500,000 bounty on his head, was arrested while buying cigarettes at a roadside store along the national highway in Barangay San Antonio at around 3 p.m.

"He was in transit and was buying something when he was arrested by agents of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Counter-Intelligence Group (AFPCIG)," Fidel said.

Macahiya was charged along with former senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan of coup d’état stemming from his alleged involvement in the failed Oakwood mutiny in July 2003.

Macahiya is one of the top aides of the fugitive senator who is also wanted with a P5-million bounty for his capture.

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao tagged Macahiya as the right hand man of Honasan.

He said Macahiya is now undergoing tactical interrogation at the police regional intelligence division at Camp Vicente Lim in Canlubang, Laguna.

He said Macahiya will be presented to the media jointly by Southern Luzon police director Chief Superintendent Prospero Noble and Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. at Camp Vicente Lim today.

Police said Macahiya was the spokesman for the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc. (PGBI) which allegedly provided civilian support to the Magdalo group of officers in staging the mutiny.

The Magdalo led some 300 of their men in seizing the Oakwood Premier Ayala Center to highlight their call for the resignation of President Arroyo, along with other government and military officials whom they accused of high level corruption.

The government has put up a P5-million bounty for Honasan stemming from his alleged involvement in the failed mutiny.

Aside from Honasan and Macahiya, the government has also put up rewards for the capture of retired Navy Capt. Felix Turingan, P1 million; and Virgilio Briones and Romeo Lazo, P500,000 each.

Honasan’s former staff members at the Senate, George Duldulao and Lina Reyes, were also included on the wanted list with P250,000 each as reward for their capture.

All of them were named as principals in the coup d’etat case before the Makati City regional trial court.

A former Army colonel, Honasan also led several coup attempts against former President Corazon Aquino in the 1980s. He was later given amnesty and joined politics, eventually being elected to the Senate in 1995.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) had said the arrest of Honasan became their top priority since the former senator was also linked to the reported coup attempt last month.

After the arrest warrant was issued for his involvement in the 2003 failed mutiny, Honasan went into hiding and has scarcely been seen in public except during the campaign period of the 2004 presidential elections when he served as security officer of the late candidate Fernando Poe Jr. — With Cecille Suerte Felipe