Police probes communist link to Nov. 29 takeover of Manila Pen

By Ronron
December 4, 2007

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking into the possible involvement of the communist movement in last Thursday’s incident in Makati City where Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV called for the removal from power of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. said they have received reports that one of the personalities arrested after quelling the standoff has “physical” links with the communist movement.

“We are verifying that,” Razon told a news conference yesterday afternoon in Camp Crame.

While Razon refused to name the said person, a police official who requested anonymity said it is Myrna Buendia who has alleged links with the communist movement.

The official said Buendia allegedly is a common-law wife of Jose Maria Sison, the founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Gabriela Party-list Rep. Liza Maza, who visited Buendia before noon yesterday along with the latter’s family at the PNP Custodial Center, said she has no information about Buendia’s relationship with Sison, if any.

But Maza said the 62-year-old detainee admitted to be a political activist and prisoner in the 70’s.

However, Buendia allegedly claimed she is innocent of the rebellion charges filed against her by police because it just so happens she was having coffee at the hotel during the incident.

“She was just a kibitzer, that’s what she said,” Maza said.

Maza said she visited Buendia upon the request of the latter’s family since she is the only woman, and aged at that, who remains in detention at the Custodial Center as of Tuesday.

On Monday evening, 14 of the 46 detained accused were released upon the orders of the Department of Justice. The 14 will undergo preliminary investigation, the DOJ said.

“If the lawyer suggests that we take her under my custody, then I’m willing to do that because she is a woman, and she is even old already and sickly,” Maza said of Buendia.

But Maza said that whether or not Buendia has personal relations with Sison, she believes the police is really out to link the CPP-NPA to the November 29 incident to justify all their “repressive actions,” like the mishandling off the media and the imposition of the curfew immediately after the incident.

Asked what could be the reason for the CPP-New People’s Army’s participation in the incident, Razon, for his part, said: “That is something we are looking into.”

But it can be remembered that in previous attempted coup incidents that happened during the Arroyo administration since 2001, authorities cited the alleged involvement of the Left, which, they said, will benefit from it if the legitimate government is toppled down./DMS