By Ronron
January 17, 2008
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said Thursday that the destabilization threat against the government continues despite the apprehension last Tuesday of discharged soldiers.
“That (destabilization threat) is continuing… But on the part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, we are doing our best to prevent the probable participation of groups whom we consider as armed,” Bacarro told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday afternoon.
Bacarro clarified that only five former soldiers were apprehended by joint police and military operatives last Tuesday for illegal possession of firearms while aboard two vehicles in Quezon City.
He said the sixth that was identified by Atty. Trixie Angeles as Cpl. Jaime Dumagpi, is not yet considered as among the group.
“I have to check where he is under custody of now,” Bacarro said of Dumagpi, whom police have identified as a driver of detained rebel officer Captain Montano Almodovar.
According to a police report, it was Dumagpi who revealed about the planned transfer of firearms by the five, leading to the latter’s apprehension.
Bacarro belied the claim of the lawyers of the five that the firearms seized from them were planted evidence.
He said the lawyers should just contest that in court.
In a related development, one of the five former soldiers, Sgt. Orlando Valencia, was released yesterday afternoon from the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) compound in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Angeles, who represents the five, said Valencia, 37, a former Army Scout Ranger personnel, was released past 3pm upon the order of the Department of Justice (DOJ) due to lack of evidence against him.
Angeles said another suspect is also supposed to be released for the same reason but the DOJ inadvertently mistook to write his name in the release order. Angeles said what happened was two release orders were issued bearing the name only of Valencia.
“As of today, the recommendation to exonerate the two was already approved,” Angeles told reporters yesterday at the ISAFP gate immediately after Valencia’s release.
She said Valencia was found to have not held any of the three firearms that were seized, therefore he could not be charged with illegal possession of firearm. The same thing is true with the other suspect.
After his release, Valencia was subjected to medical examination at a hospital inside Camp Aguinaldo. Present to welcome him at the ISAFP gate was his wife and baby boy.
Angeles maintained that the five ex-soldiers are not involved in a plot to destabilize the government.
“They could not file rebellion or sedition because there is no overt act. This is just to substantiate an imaginary coup in order to aid an extension of the term of the chief of staff,” she said.
“There is no destabilization, there is no coup, there is no conspiracy,” she added.
But Bacarro said the investigation will proceed to find out the role of the five in planned destabilization plots, their possible affiliation with fugitive Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon, and of the Magdalo group.
Valencia’s wife said the only possible reason why her husband is being linked to the destabilization plot is because her husband used to be a driver of detained rebel officer Captain Ruben Guinolbay.
But she said that since her husband was discharged from the service last December for allegedly being a part of the February 2006 coup plot, Valencia had been busy with their family and in finding a job.
She said her husband successfully got a job as a family driver. But she maintained that her husband was not issued a firearm by his employer.
She said that what she knew of her husband’s activity last Tuesday was that he was supposed to fetch the child of his employer at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila City.
Valencia was driving at that time the Mitsubishi L300 van of his employer. The said van is now under police custody as a piece of evidence against the five.
Angeles said the other ex-soldier who is due for release will have to await until the DOJ comes out with a corrected release order./DMS
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