Dinky's camp scoffs at hooded witness' claims

The Black and White Movement (BWM) multi-sectoral group on Tuesday questioned the credibility of the government's hooded witness who accused former social welfare chief Corazon "Dinky" Soliman of plotting a rebellion. "Will someone tell me who this man is? Is he for real? It is clear they are grasping at straws here. We have done nothing outside the bounds of the law," BWM said in its web log. The Philippine National Police (PNP) presented Monday the new witness, Jaime Beltran Fuentes, at the Department of Justice. Fuentes said he was formerly with the Southern Tagalog Party Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). He purportedly functioned as security officer of Vic Ladlad, an alleged member of the CPP's central committee. During the press presentation, Fuentes alleged that Ladlad spoke with the six party-list congressmen accused of rebellion. Fuentes also claimed that Soliman, a member of the resigned "Hyatt 10" secretaries now affiliated with BWM, met with members of Bayan Muna supposedly to topple the Arroyo government. "Bayan Muna, Bayan, the Black and White Movement are not underground groups, they operate above the radar, in plain sight for all to see," BWM said. The group added, "It seems that our little group is more interesting to the Palace than even to our middle class detractors ... The subject matter [of the meeting between Soliman and Bayan Muna]? The overthrow of GMA. Wow," the group said.-GMANews.TV