We were not hiding, only unavailable, says captured Honasan aide

A day after his capture, retired banker Ernesto Macahiya denied allegations that he was among the top leaders of a coup plot hatched by fugitive former senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan to topple the government.

Macahiya, former spokesman for the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc., denied they were espousing violent means to overthrow the government to create a revolutionary council.

Since a warrant for his arrest was issued last February, Macahiya denied that he and his colleagues have gone into hiding after they were indicted before the Makati City regional trial court for coup d’etat charges.

"We are not espousing violence. In any of our actions, we remain in ourselves committed to the legal processes," Macahiya said.

"We did not go into hiding. We simply made ourselves unavailable for our protection considering the present political climate," he said.

Considered as one of the five most wanted fugitives charged in the Oakwood mutiny in July 2003, Macahiya was captured by joint military and police operatives in Los Baños, Laguna last Friday.

Police said Macahiya, who had a P500,000 bounty on his head, was arrested while buying cigarettes at a roadside store along the national highway in Barangay San Antonio.

Macahiya was charged along with Honasan of coup d’état stemming from his alleged involvement in the failed Oakwood mutiny on July 27, 2003.

A retired executive of Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Macahiya is one of the top aides of the fugitive senator who is also wanted with a P5-million bounty for his capture.

What forced him to be more inaccessible, Macahiya claimed it was the huge bounty that the government put up for his capture.

"Hindi kami nagtatago, nag-iingat lamang kami dahil sa laki ng reward nakapatong sa aming ulo, maaaring marami dyan ang nagkakainterest at baka gawan pa kami ng masama (We are not hiding, we are only careful because of the huge reward on us. We are being careful against bounty hunters who might take interest on us," Macahiya said.

Aside from Macahiya and Honasan, 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.

Macahiya, on the other hand, is chapter president of PGBI in Southern Tagalog its national spokesman. He became Honasan’s right hand man, police said.

When asked if he had been communicating with Honasan, Macahiya admitted calling the former senator through cellular phones.

He said the last time that he had a talk with Honasan was four days ago, to receive instructions on how to promote the welfare of PGBI members.

Macahiya added his lawyers will file motions to downgrade the coup d’etat case against him to a case of rebellion, a bailable offense.

Honasan, on the other hand, denied he is in hiding, but claiming that he "only inaccessible" to government security forces hunting him down.

Honasan’s lawyer Danny Gutierrez said the former senator is not in hiding. He argued the rebellion charges filed against his client has no legal basis.

According to Gutierrez, the former senator is somewhere in Luzon and has denied no part in the reported destabilization plot hatched in time for Monday’s Labor Day celebrations.

Earlier in the week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) also filed rebellion charges at the Makati City court against Honasan, six party-list congressmen, four soldiers involved in the Oakwood mutiny and two members of the rightist Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa.

The charge sheet also contained 27 other names implicated in the alleged conspiracy to overthrow President Arroyo last February.