Adaza files raps vs Fortun, PNP

Former assemblyman Homobono Adaza filed criminal charges yesterday before the Office of the Ombudsman against a fellow lawyer, officials of Philippine National Police (PNP) and state prosecutors for his arrest last July 2.

Adaza accused them of violating Republic Act 3019, the anti-graft law; RA 6713, the code of conduct for government workers; RA 4200, the anti-wiretapping law; and provisions of the Revised Penal Code on arbitrary detention and delay in submitting detained persons to proper judicial authorities.

He named PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr.; Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Raul Castañeda; lawyer Raymond Fortun; State Prosecutors Emmanuel Velasco, Diosdado Solidum and Rosa Elmina Villarin; Joanna Marie Laurilla and at least 17 others as respondents.

Fortun earlier accused Adaza of allegedly plotting another coup against the Arroyo.

Adaza claimed he was victim of an “oppressive, tyrannical, cruel execution of a criminal warrantless arrest.” He was arrested with former Army lieutenant colonel Oscarlito Mapalo and retired colonels Cesar dela Peña, and Ernie Amboy at around 11 a.m. last July 2 at a hotel in Pasig City.

He said none of the arresting officers wore any uniforms. When Adaza asked why they were being arrested, none of the officers answered. He added that the officers not only did not read them their rights but also held them incommunicado for five hours.

The opposition lawyer said he went to the hotel only to attend the birthday party of a son of Mapalo and not to plan a coup, as alleged by Fortun.

Fortun accused Adaza and some retired military and police officers of trying to extort $4 million from his client, Japanese national Motonori Sakuma, to finance a coup to overthrow the government.

Adaza said Fortun was pushing Mapalo and the others to implement a plan to murder Sakuma’s Filipino business partners, Manuel Copon and Emmanuel Galdo, during a meeting last July 1, an allegation Fortun denied.

Adaza also said Fortun “conspired and confederated” with the CIDG and PNP officials to have them arrested.

While undergoing a check-up at the PNP Hospital on July 3, Adaza said he was visited by Razon and Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno. He asked Razon to release him and the others. At that point, Razon reportedly told Adaza that “a case will be filed because Fortun is insisting that the case be filed.”

Adaza also filed anti-wiretapping charges against the police after the law enforcers listened in over a cellular phone conversion between Laurilla with certain men – purportedly Adaza, Mapalo and the others – who told her to try to convince Sakuma to finance their planned coup.

Adaza also said it took police 48 hours to file the case against them while they were in detention. According to the law, police and prosecutors have 36 hours to file a case.

Razon welcomed the charges, saying they merely did their jobs and did not violate the law.      – With Cecille Suerte Felipe