Trillanes, 35 Others Charged With Rebellion

Trillanes, 35 others charged with rebellion

 December 04, 2007 02:49:00Leila Salaverria Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice Monday filed rebellion charges against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona and 34 other military officers, Church officials and civilians in connection with the takeover of the Peninsula Manila hotel last week.Also named in the charge sheet filed in the Makati Regional Trial Court were Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, Bishop Emeritus Julio Labayen, Fr. Robert Reyes, former University of the Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo, artist Elizabeth Orteza Siguion-Reyna and Antonio Trillanes III, a brother of the senator.No bail was recommended for the accused although Guingona, 79, was hospitalized due to an unspecified ailment and Labayen, 81, was freed upon the intercession of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Angel Lagdameo.Fourteen others were released pending further investigation.Police said they were hunting at least four other officers who escaped after taking over the hotel on Thursday, including Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon, who had been implicated in past coup attempts. The government has put up a P1-million reward for Faeldon’s capture.Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez issued a hold-departure order on 50 persons named in an earlier police complaint in connection with the seven-hour Peninsula standoff. They included those named in the charge sheet and those temporarily released.In a resolution, a DOJ panel led by Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco dismissed claims that the hotel takeover was a spontaneous act following the walkout by Trillanes and Lim from a Makati court hearing.“The civilian respondents’ act in waiting for the group of Trillanes in Manila Peninsula hotel and eventually joining them while disregarding police advice, evading police blockade … only shows their concerted effort and intention to coalesce with them toward the attainment of a common objective,” it said.“Thus, their participation cannot be viewed as merely spontaneous and isolated, on the contrary, (it) reveal(s) a conspiracy and mutual intention to overthrow the government,” the panel said.

Elements of rebellion

The DOJ panel also said the elements of rebellion were present when the group took up arms against the government, led a public uprising and announced that they were ousting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to form a new government.The panel noted that the statement read by Lim, former commander of a Scout Ranger Regiment, after he arrived at the Peninsula called for a change in leadership and for the military and the police to withdraw their support from Ms Arroyo.It said that Guingona, in apparent “anticipation of their victory,” raised a toast and said “This is like EDSA.”“The foregoing bears the earmark of public uprising and taking up arms against the government,” the panel said.“Walking out of the court in the midst of the trial and having themselves surrounded by armed men in public does not only display respondents’ contumacious act of disrespect to the court but also shows their open hostility against the government,” the panel said.A copy of Lim’s statement was found in the hotel. High-powered firearms, ammunition and explosives were recovered at the Peninsula’s second floor, the panel said.

Escape plan

Video footage also showed some of the respondents marching to the hotel while calling on people to withdraw support from the government.Authorities also seized a handwritten note showing Trillanes’ escape plan from the Makati court. The notes contain the number of teams and their members, their pre-designated positions, the timeframe, the distribution of firearms, the route they were going to take and the rules of engagement in case of a confrontation.“This ‘escape plan’ clearly shows premeditated planning by the respondents. This was hatched not only by the military respondents headed by Lim and Trillanes but also in coordination with the civilian respondents,” the panel said.

Threat remains

Gonzalez said that although the 36 accused, plus John and Jane Does, were charged with rebellion, some of them could be later found to be accomplices or accessories.Gonzalez said the threat from the supporters or followers of those behind the siege of the Peninsula remained.“We don’t know if there are sleepers in their ranks. We need more intelligence on the part of the armed forces, the police, most especially the armed forces because these people are under them,” he said.Gonzalez said that Trillanes could not be considered as someone who had been discarded because he had followers, including some military officers.But he also said Trillanes had probably begun to “hallucinate” considering that had the revolt succeeded, Trillanes and Lim would have led the transition government, based on documents recovered from the hotel.Gonzalez said that some of those named in the police complaint were Senate employees who were just told to go to the hotel and were prevented from leaving during the siege.Those ordered released were El Cid Fajardo, Herman Tiu Laurel, Leonido Toledo Jr., Evangeline Mendoza, Jose Albert, Eduardo Castro, Ferdinand Sandoval, Julio Ancheta, Stella Guingona, Maamor Lanto, Romeo Dacles, Ryan Custodio, Edgardo Tulalay and Ray Linaac.Gonzalez said authorities were checking a “money trail” to determine the identities of those who had bankrolled the hotel takeover. He also said the possible “complicity” of the Makati City government in the hotel siege was being checked.“No adventurism of this nature will happen if there are no people behind who will be funding them,” he told reporters.Gonzalez linked the money men to the people reportedly recruited from Metro Manila communities for P200 each and who were to be transported outside the Peninsula Manila to support the soldiers and civilians who had holed up inside.“We want to know who were the funders or who were the conduits of the funders to them. Unfortunately, these people now are hiding. We cannot get anybody from Parola or from Payatas anymore,” he said.

Weapons

Gonzalez said that based on witness’ accounts, the guns appeared to have been hidden in the Makati City Hall bathrooms because the people involved in the incident were seen going to and from the bathroom and the courtroom prior to the walkout.“If it is true there were weapons that were smuggled inside the building, with Mayor (Jejomar) Binay even having reported to the police he has death threats, how could these firearms have been smuggled inside?” he said.Gonzalez also wondered how the firearms were brought to the Peninsula.“Was there a connivance with the security of Manila Peninsula? Why is that when Trillanes arrived at the Manila Peninsula, all the cameras were already in place?” he asked.As for the reported investigation of the participation of the media, he said journalists would only be held responsible if they were shown to have connived with those who had participated in the takeover.

Charged with rebellion

Former Vice President Teofisto T. Guingona Jr.
Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV
Brig. Gen. Danilo P. Lim
Bishop Julio Labayen
Rev. Father Robert P. Reyes
Capt. Gary C. Alejano
Capt. Segundino P. Orfiano Jr.
LTSG Manuel DG Cabochan
LTSG James A. Layug
LTJG Arturo Pascua Jr.
LT Eugene G. Peralta
LT Andy G. Torrato
1LT Billy S. Pascua
1LT Jonnel P. Sangalang
ENS Armand G. Pontejos
J.V. Bautista
Arjee C. Guevarra
Francisco Nemenzo
Julius J. Mesa
Cezari Yassir T. Gonzales
CPL Clecarte D. Dahan
PFC Juanito Jilbury
PFC Emmanuel C. Tirador
PFC German M. Linde
Antonio F. Trillanes III
Myrna H. Buendia
Dominador E. Rull Jr.
Romeo C. Solis
Roel J. Gadon
Rommel R. Loreto
Julian L. Advincula
Francisco N. Bosi
Leodor G. Dela Cruz
Sonny B. Madarang
Elizabeth O. Siguion-Reyna
Francisco C. Peñaflor, and
John and Jane Does

Ordered released for further investigation
 

El Cid C. Fajardo
Herman T. Laurel
Leonido Toledo Jr.
Evangeline B. Mendoza
Jose A. Albert
Eduardo R. Castro
Ferdinand P. Sandoval
Julio Y. Ancheta
Stella D. Guingona
Maamor D. Lanto
Romeo S. Dacles
Ryan Z. Custodio
Edgardo Tulaylay, and
Ray A. Linaac