49 charged with rebellion sans senators, prelates, Cory brother

Dropping the names of senators and church leaders, the government filed rebellion charges Friday against 49 persons for their participation in an alleged coup attempt last February. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) submitted its documents to the Department of Justice following a closed-door meeting with Secretary Raul Gonzalez. "This is not an exclusive list. There are other names which are still being evaluated and they can fall within the John Does I mentioned," Gonzalez said after meeting with NBI Special Task Force chief Reynaldo Esmeralda. Originally up for evaluation were Senators Panfilo Lacson and Rodolfo Biazon. The two were in the draft charge sheet, along with former Tarlac Rep. Jose "Peping Cojuangco, former Executive Secretary Oscar Orbos and Bishop Julio Labayen. Cojuangco, a brother of former President Corazon Aquino, purportedly allowed coup leaders to use his home to map out the uprising. Orbos, now an administration critic, worked in the Aquino Cabinet during the 1980s. Caloocan Bishop Antonio Tobias, who had admitted providing shelter to mutinous Magdalo soldiers implicated in the coup, was not listed in the draft and final charge sheets. "The evidence against Senators Panfilo Lacson and Rodolfo Biazon and television host Oscar Orbos are still incomplete that is why they are not yet included in the complaint," Esmeralda said. Gonzalez said those still being evaluated include businessmen. He said they are still cross-checking statements linking them to the supposed coup. "They are all being evaluated very carefully (so) critics won't complain these are all harassment and witch-hunts. These are not. That's why you notice the incident took place February 24 to 26 but we are only now filing these cases," he said. He said the DOJ set up at least five five-member panels to expedite the case. He said he will leave the formal filing of charges is up to chief state prosecutor Jovencito Zuño. Among those found to have "conspiratorial participation" in the coup were former Sen. Gregorio Honasan, Pastor "Boy" Saycon, former ambassador Roy Señeres; businessmen Don Pepe Araneta and Jaime Regalario; Former Marines head Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda, former Scout Rangers chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, Col. Ariel Querubin, Col. Orlando de Leon, Col. Januario Caringal, Lieutenant Col. Armando Bañez (former acting Marine chief of staff), Lieutenant Col. Custodio Parcon, Lieutenant Col. Achilles Segumalian, Lieutenant Col. Nestor Flordeliza; Army Lieutenant Col. Edmundo Malabanjot, former commander of the Third Scout Ranger Battalion; Army Maj. Laureano Jason Aquino; Maj. Jose Leomar Doctolero, commandant Scout Ranger Training school; Maj. Oriel Pangcog, operations officer of First Scout Ranger Regiment, Capt. James Sababan, and Capt. Dante Langkit; Magdalo members Army 1st Lieutenants Angelbert Gay, Nathaniel Rabonza, Sonny Sarmiento, Lawrence San Juan, Patricio Bumidang and 2nd Lieutenant Aldrin Baldonado. Retired Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco, former police Special Action Force (SAF) head; Senior Superintendent Benjamin Magalong, also a SAF officer; Ret. Lieutenant Col. Reynaldo Cabauatan, Ret. Navy Capt. Felix Turingan, Ret. Col. Marcelino "Jake" Malajacan, Ret. Col. Rafael Galvez, Ret. Col. Mel Acosta, retired Chief Superintendent Victor Batac; Lawyers Roberto Rafael "Ruel" Pulido and Christopher Belmonte; Cristina Antonio alias Friday; Betina Balderama alias Angie; Michael Yangson; Civil society leader Renato Constantino, Maui Constantino, former Univesity of the Philippines president Prudencio "Dodong" Nemenzo, Jess Fernandez alias Sy, Allan Paje, Jay Malajacan alias Jamaal; National Democratic Front (NDF) members Prudencio Calubid alias Ka Pablo, Leo Velasco alias Ka Inid, Edelberto Silva alias Ka Jes, Tirso Alcantara alias Ka Bart. Lacson and Biazon said there was political pressure on the police to include them in the list. Lacson said Gonzalez's chief of staff Benny Nicdao and undersecretary Ernesto Pineda pressed the CIDG into including him in the list despite lack of evidence. Gonzalez said the case against those he mentioned will be incorporated in the case the NBI formally filed before the Quezon City Prosecutor's Office. However, radio station dzBB noted that the evidence Gonzalez had at hand included an issue of Time magazine, which detailed a supposed meeting by the alleged plotters. Earlier reports had indicated several civilians and some incumbent and former lawmakers may be charged for participation in the supposed coup plot before the DOJ. The case was built on the testimony of former Magdalo members including Army 1st Lieutenant Patricio Bumidang and Lieutenant Junior Grade Kiram Sadava, who had since turned "state witness." Bumidang and Sadava went to the NBI headquarters in Manila with their lawyer Paolo Primavera.-GMANews.TV