Army captain linked to 'Oplan Hackle' arrested

The Armed Forces reported Wednesday the arrest of an Army captain who allegedly participated in a botched coup attempt on February 24. Lieutenant Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Army chief, identified the captive as Capt. Dante Langkit of the Special Operations Command. Langkit is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class ’95. Langkit was handcuffed and flanked by two soldiers during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo. Intelligence officers nabbed Langkit, a scout ranger officer, inside a restaurant at Banawe Street, Quezon City last Sunday. Authorities confiscated a USB (universal serial bus) flash drive allegedly containing electronic copies of several seditious documents, thousands of pesos worth of prepaid cellcards, nine cellphone units and P81,300 in cash. Esperon said that as early as 2003, Langkit allegedly initiated a meeting with the New People's Army (NPA) and proposed attacks on Army detachments as a sign of support to the mutinous Magdalo group. He said meetings uncovered and documented by Army officers linked Langkit with attempts to revitalize and reorganize the Magdalo and helped confirm the existence of "Para sa Bayan." He further said Langkit also allegedly played a major role in recruiting military officers and planning destabilization of the government. In the early part of 2006, Langkit allegedly met with several officers he recruited and issued instruction for the Oplan Gemstone. Under the plan, Langkit will allegedly lead forces that would attack and take over Army headquarters. Esperon said Langkit went absent without official leave on January 17, the day four Magdalo soldiers, namely First Lts. Lawrence San Juan, Sonny Sarmiento and Patricio Bumidang Jr, and Captain Nathaniel Rabonza bolted from their detention cell in Fort Bonifacio. He said with the four fugitive officers, Langkit allegedly continued recruiting junior officers to his cause. San Juan was arrested last month in Batangas.-GMANews.TV