NBI to summon coup ‘financiers’

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will summon each of the 10 suspected financiers of the Feb. 24 coup attempt, which include businessmen and former government officials, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said yesterday.

"They will be called by the NBI individually. These persons were composed of businessmen and one of them was even aspiring to be an ambassador," Gonzalez said.

According to Gonzalez, he had a talk with one of the 10 who confirmed they were in a gathering held at the house of former Tarlac congressman Jose "Peping" Cojuangco, brother of former President Corazon Aquino.

"The information I gathered was that one of the meetings of these people was held in the house of this person, who is aspiring to become an ambassador," he said, in apparent reference to Cojuangco.

He said the 10 had denied the gathering was to plan the coup but only to talk about cockfighting.

Gonzalez said President Arroyo has created an eight-member coordinating group composed of security officials from the military and intelligence agencies that will gather the evidence and file the charges against the alleged conspirators.

He said the Army intelligence have already gathered the necessary evidence to pin down the alleged coup plotters.

Military sources also confirmed 10 people have been tagged as financiers of the failed coup attempt.

Sources said the 10 have been named by the two repentant Magdalo junior officers as financiers and supporters of the failed power grab.

Though their identities were withheld for security reasons, the military said they were named in the confessions made by renegade Army 1Lts. Lawrence San Juan and Patricio Bumidang.

A military investigator revealed San Juan and Bumidang are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation by the Army Intelligence Security Group (ISG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

"So far mga sampu na ang kanilang pingalanan na civilians na tumutulong sa kanila financially and we expect more," the source said.

The two Army officers also volunteered to turn over some documents revealing the extent of the coup plot.

"Decoded files from the group’s computer is now helping us in our investigation to have a clearer view of the entire plot and in the process also we were able to identify some of their financiers and their benefactors," the military investigator added.

When reached for comment in the breakthrough of the investigation, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Jesus Verzosa refused to confirm or deny the developments.

"Basta continuing ang aming investigation tungkol d’yan," Verzosa said.

San Juan, one of the remaining respected leaders of the Magdalo group, announced Friday he is breaking his ties with the rebel group.

At a press conference at Fort Bonifacio, San Juan declared he is submitting himself to the chain of command by renewing his pledge to the Constitution.

San Juan also declared holding himself responsible for the actions of his colleague junior officers who had escaped with him earlier this year.

San Juan apologized to the military leadership and to his family for all the damage he caused.

On the other hand, the source claimed Bumidang is also set to renounce his link with the Magdalo faction.

Bumidang, along with Army Capt. Nathaniel Rabonza, 2Lts. Aldrin Baldonado, Agelbert Gay and Navy LtJg. Kiram Sadava, were rounded up by security forces in a raid recently in their safehouse in Quezon City last week.

The arrest of the six fugitive Army officers uncovered "Oplan Trident," a plot hatched by the Magdalo group to grab power by attacking key targets, including the House of Representatives and holding lawmakers hostage during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Mrs. Arroyo on July 24.

Gonzalez, on the other hand, said the recent arrest of the six Magdalo officers does not assure the threat is neutralized.

He pointed out former senator Gregorio Honasan and his group of supporters still remains a serious threat to the government.

"Honasan’s group are still there and the destabilizers of the government are not yet neutralized. They have their own plans. They are on our radar screen. You can never underestimate anyone," Gonzalez stressed.

Although the government has yet to determine the strength of Honasan’s group, Gonzalez said security forces are taking precautionary measures in efforts to arrest the former Army colonel.

The NBI, meanwhile, urged incoming Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon to produce Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim before the courts.

Regional Director Reynaldo Esmeralda of the NBI-Special Task Force (STF) said the writs of habeas corpus will be served on Esperon in compliance with the directive of the 16th Division of the Court of Appeals (CA).

Esperon, being the current Army chief, is holding Lim who is charged as a conspirator in the Feb. 24 coup attempt.

"They are required to explain the legality of the detention of Gen. Lim. This is mandatory for them, they have no choice but to comply or else they would be in contempt," Esmeralda said. — Jose Rodel Clapano, Jaime Laude, Evelyn Macairan