Miriam: Binay can face criminal raps over Manila Pen siege

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay could be held criminally liable for "conspiracy to commit rebellion" if proven that he agreed to support the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said on Friday.

Santiago said Binay could face criminal charges for Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV's revelation that they conspired with soldiers to overthrow the Arroyo administration.

Trillanes had said that Binay allegedly promised him to use his then position as Makati mayor to mobilize the employees of Makati City Hall, the urban poor, the students of the University of Makati and Makati traffic enforcers and police to support the Magdalo soldiers in revolting against the government.

Binay, however, allegedly failed to deliver his promised group of supporters when the soldiers walked out of the Makati City Regional Trial Court.

Santiago said merely agreeing and deciding to rise publicly and take arms against the government for the purposes of rebellion is already punishable under the crime of conspiracy to commit rebellion.

She said it was immaterial that Binay allegedly failed to mobilize the supporters and was nowhere to be seen when the soldiers retreated to the Manila Peninsula Hotel before surrendering.

Under Article 136 of the Penal Code, the crime of conspiracy to commit rebellion is punishable by imprisonment of four years to six years and a fine not exceeding P5,000.

Santiago said the crime of conspiracy to commit rebellion prescribes in 10 years from the discovery of the crime.

This means that the the government has until 2017 to prosecute the offenders since the Manila Pen siege happened in 2007.