Honasan posts bail

By Ronron
April 20, 2007

Former Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan was able to gain temporary freedom on Friday night after the Makati City court hearing his coup d’ etat case allowed him to post bail earlier in the day.

Honasan, who is charged of coup d’ etat over his alleged participation in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, left Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. where he has been detained since November last year, at around 7:20 pm, together with his family and lawyers.

Earlier in the day, his lawyer paid the bail amount of P200,000 as set by Judge Oscar Pimentel of Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148.

“I just want to thank the Filipino people who campaigned and prayed hard. Tomorrow, we start our campaign,” Honasan told reporters upon his exit from the police camp in Laguna.

Honasan, 59, is joining the senatorial race this May 14. He is running as an independent candidate.

In his 10-page order, Pimentel granted Honasan’s motion for bail, agreeing with the latter’s lawyer’s argument that the reinvestigation of his case by prosecution should not stand in the way in his availment of his constitutional right to bail.

Pimentel also agreed with the point of Honasan’s lawyer that only a person facing charges punishable with lifetime imprisonment (reclusion perpetua) will be denied bail under the law, especially if the evidence of guilt is strong.

“The People has charged accused Honasan as a co-conspirator, as a participant in a coup d’ etat which is punishable by prision mayor. Considering that the offense charged against accused Sen. Honasan is punishable by Reclusion Temporal, at the most, this Court has no discretion to deny him bail,” said Pimentel.

But at the same time, Pimentel issued a separate order that activated the case against Honasan after the prosecution failed to comply with the 60-day deadline for them to submit a report about the reinvestigation of the case.

Thereby, the judge set the arraignment and pre-trial of Honasan on May 17.

Honasan went into hiding upon learning that an arrest warrant against him was issued in February 2006 for his alleged participation in the takeover of the posh Oakwood Hotel in Makati City last July 27, 2003 by aggrieved junior officers and enlisted personnel of the Philippine military.

He was captured only on November 15, 2007 in Quezon City.

Honasan came in to the national picture in the 1980’s when he became a rebel soldier to denounce the dictatorial rule of then President Ferdinand Marcos./DMS