Lim’s defense won’t hold water — Esperon

CAMP NAKAR, Lucena City — Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said here yesterday detained Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim’s defense in the mutiny case filed against him that he actually stopped a military uprising last Feb. 24 "would not hold water," as claimed by his lawyer.

Esperon said that for one, Lim’s lawyer, Vicente Verdadero was not there when his client went to the office of former AFP chief general Generoso Senga to ask for his support to join street protests during the 20th anniversary of the EDSA I people power revolt.

"He (Verdadero) was not there when we were meeting with the major service commanders. They are trying to come up with a defense that does not hold water," Esperon said in an interview during the turnover of command ceremony at the Southern Luzon Command here.

He said the AFP has a lot of evidence to prove that Lim tried to break from the chain of command.

"We have a lot of evidence like the recorded tape that shows him calling for President Arroyo to resign," he said. — James Mananghaya