Pamatong arrested at airport

MANILA, Philippines - Lawyer Ely Pamatong, a nuisance candidate in the 2004 and 2010 presidential elections, was arrested yesterday on an outstanding warrant issued by a Quezon City court for inciting to sedition.

He had been linked to last Monday’s foiled bombing attempt at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Pamatong was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) upon his arrival from Cagayan de Oro City at NAIA Terminal 2 at around 6 p.m.

De Lima clarified the arrest was not made for Pamatong’s involvement in last Monday’s foiled attacks but on an outstanding warrant for inciting to sedition stemming from the threats Pamatong reportedly made against the government after he lost in the 2004 presidential elections and ordered his supporters to scatter steel spikes along EDSA.

Pamatong was brought to the NBI main office in Manila for detention before being presented to the court for the return of warrant.

De Lima said the NBI would also take the opportunity to investigate Pamatong over his statements in connection with last Monday’s foiled bombing attack.

Pamatong, in a television interview earlier yesterday, admitted knowing the three suspects arrested by the NBI and said he had even encouraged one of them to launch the operation against Chinese interests in the country.

“I can confirm the NBI is looking into the possible involvement of Pamatong. We wanted to first validate it, but he already publicly confirmed that he knew the three members of USAFFE and that he is the commander-in-chief of the group,” De Lima said.

While she considers Pamatong a “comic character,” De Lima said last Monday’s incident should be taken seriously.

“Even if it sounds funny and whether these are comic characters or so-called pranksters, it’s not good to belittle the operations conducted by the NBI,” De Lima said.

“What if they succeeded and caused harm or death? The fact that they contemplated such activities is more than enough to put us on guard,” she added.

This is why the NBI would dig deeper into the incident and determine the real motive of the group, De Lima pointed out.

The NBI arrested the three suspects, one of them claiming to be a “general” of USAFFE, following a tip that they were about to plant an explosive at the NAIA.

The NBI said the group was also planning to plant explosives in establishments owned by Chinese.

Grandeur Pepito Guerrero, Emmanuel San Pedro and Sonny Yohanon have been charged for illegal possession of explosives following their alleged plot to bomb four targets that included the Chinese embassy to demonstrate their anger against China.

Guerrero, alias Jojo, is the alleged leader of the group. He claimed to be a general of USAFFE, the acronym of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East during World War II.

The three initially denied the charges but later claimed they are “defenders of the Filipino people” and consider China and the “oligarch taipans” who are engaged in monopolistic business practices and illegal mining in the country as their arch enemies.

De Lima later described the three as “misguided elements of our society.”

De Lima said she does not know yet if the incident could be considered a “prelude” to what Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV earlier warned was a supposed destabilization plot against the Aquino administration.

De Lima also clarified the incident should not be branded “foiled bombing attempt” because what were seized from the suspects were not bombs or improvised explosive devices but rather improvised incendiary device, particularly firecrackers and gasoline.– Christina Mendez, Perseus Echeminada, Gerry Lee Gorit