Gringo to DOJ: Quash coup raps

Former senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday to quash the coup d’état charges filed against him for his part in the failed Oakwood mutiny in July 2003.

Through his lawyer Daniel Gutierrez, the fugitive former Army colonel filed a 29-page petition seeking to set aside the resolution of the DOJ panel led by Senior State Prosecutor Leo Dacera implicating him in the coup attempt.

Honasan also asked Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to direct the reinvestigation of the case against him and allow him to submit his counter-affidavit and evidence for his defense.

Gutierrez explained the petition for review filed before the DOJ highlights Honasan’s legal right to call for a preliminary investigation of the case and to grant him opportunity to defend himself.

At the same time, lawyer Oliver Lozano lodged a complaint against Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno for authorizing a P5-million bounty for the capture of Honasan.

Lozano claimed Puno violated the Code of Conduct for Public Officers by putting up the huge bounty and wanted posters for the former senator.

Honasan, through Lozano, also denied accusations that he was the mastermind behind a failed coup plot against President Arroyo last month.

Lozano earlier claimed to have received a letter from Honasan, which detailed why he had gone into hiding.

According to Lozano, the former senator was forced into hiding after receiving death threats from so-called "mercenaries."

In a three-page complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, Lozano claimed the bounty offered by Puno for Honasan’s capture "is an overkill and uncalled for."

Lozano pointed out the government has all the resources — the military, police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as well as the intelligence community — at its disposal to arrest the former lawmaker without the need for a huge bounty.

Lozano warned the huge reward for the capture of Honasan might spark a civil war and could get the former Army colonel killed.

He said pro-government bounty hunters may clash with Honasan sympathizers, which included the Guardians Brotherhood Inc., a civilian-military fraternity founded by the former senator.

The government intensified its manhunt for Honasan yesterday as copies of the warrant for his arrest issued by a Makati City regional trial court were distributed to law enforcement agencies nationwide.

NBI Regional Director Reynaldo Esmeralda said all law enforcement units in the country were also tasked to submit regular updates to ensure coordinated efforts to collar Honasan.

"Just like all fugitives, he (Honasan) is considered armed and dangerous. That is standard operating procedure," said Esmeralda, the chief of NBI Special Task Force leading the search.

Aside from Honasan, the government also put up rewards of P1 million for the capture of retired Navy Capt. Felix Turingan and P500,000 each for Virgilio Briones, Romeo Lazo and Ernesto Macahiya.

Honasan’s former staff members at the Senate, George Duldulao and Lina Reyes, were included on the wanted list with P250,000 each as reward for their arrest.

Police said the reward for Honasan’s capture was much higher than that of the other accused since the former senator "is acknowledged to be the leader of the group responsible for the past and recent past activities which are actually, obviously, meant to overthrow the government."

Officials explained the bounty amount is usually based on the gravity of the offense committed by the person.

In the case of Honasan, what was considered was "the implication of the continued condition of being at large to certain people, their ability to commit destabilization or to perpetrate crimes.

Honasan has been charged for his involvement in the failed Oakwood mutiny in July 2003.

As former Army colonel, Honasan also led several coup attempts against former President Corazon Aquino in the 1980s. He was later given amnesty and joined politics, eventually being elected to the Senate in 1995.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the arrest of Honasan was now their top priority since the former senator was also linked to the reported coup attempt last month.

After the arrest warrant was issued for his involvement in the 2003 failed mutiny, Honasan went into hiding and has not been seen in public since.

The former Army colonel, who was referred as the "Kuya" (elder brother), allegedly organized the Magdalo group of junior officers who launched a failed mutiny in July 2003.

The Magdalo group led some 300 of their men in taking over the Oakwood Premier Ayala Center in Makati City to highlight their accusations of corruption against President Arroyo and other government officials.

His lawyer Gutierrez said the case against Honasan should be reviewed since the former senator made a noble effort of "curing the ills of our society which hamper our development and struggle for progress.

"Honasan conceived a general platform of government which he expressed through (his) National Recovery Program. Ironically, this same program was made the basis of the trumped-up charge of coup d’état against him," Gutierrez said.

The lawyer claimed Honasan’s name was "mercilessly and unjustly dragged into a supposed scheme to topple the government... labeled as the Oakwood incident."

Gutierrez said Honasan was merely exercising his freedom of speech and expression.

Gutierrez pointed out the DOJ panel deprived Honasan of the opportunity to submit his counter-affidavit and defend himself.

He said the panel denied his client due process when they issued the resolution implicating him to the failed mutiny in 2003.