Six active and former soldiers nabbed for alleged plot to destabilize the government

By Ronron
January 16, 2008

Police and military operatives nabbed six active and discharged soldiers on Monday and Tuesday due to their alleged plot to overthrow the Arroyo government, various sources said yesterday.

According to Atty. Trixie Angeles, a lawyer of some military rebels, the first to be taken into military custody was Army Cpl. Jaime Dumagpi of the Scout Rangers unit.

Angeles said Dumagpi was accosted last Monday.

Dumagpi then led to the apprehension on Tuesday afternoon in Quezon City of five former soldiers, identified as Cpls. Ramon Perania, 37; Redante Maranan, 32; Kim Agas, 37; and Walter Francisco, 35; and Sgt. Orlando Valencia, 37, said Angeles.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr. said Perania, Maranan, Francisco and Valencia are formerly with the Army Scout Ranger unit, while Agas was a former Marines personnel.

Torres said Perania, Francisco and Valencia were among the enlisted personnel discharged late last year from the service due to their alleged involvement in the February 2006 coup plot.

Maranan, on the other hand, had been on absence-without-official-leave since February 2006, said Torres.

Angeles said the five were supposed to go to Valencia’s residence last Tuesday when they were nabbed by persons who identified themselves as military intelligence operatives.

A police report said the apprehension was made at around 2:30 pm along Cordillera St. and N. Ramirez St. in Galas, Quezon City.

The former soldiers, whom the report identified as members of the Para sa Bayan (PSB) Destabilization Group, were allegedly aboard a Mitsubishi L300 van and a Honda Civic. Authorities have described PSB as allegedly being led by alleged coup plotter Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim.

The report said the five were caught after getting information from Dumagpi, an active member of the AFP who is serving as driver of alleged coup plotter Army Capt. Montano Almodovar.

“Dumagpi disclosed that he was instructed by Capt. Almodovar to monitor the transport of assorted high powered firearms by PSB members. Said firearms were supposed to be delivered to a yet undisclosed safehouse, which will be identified later on to him by Capt. Almodovar,” the report said.

During the operation last Tuesday, the arresting personnel from the criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) allegedly found one Colt M16 rifle with one magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition, one AR15 assault rifle with one magazine containing 30 rounds of ammunition, and one AK 47 from the suspects’ vehicles.

But as per the account of some of the wives of the nabbed persons, Angeles said the latter did not have firearms in their possession when accosted.

“They were already gainfully employed. They were working as security staff. There was no arrest warrant when they were taken. So, there was no basis for their arrest,” Angeles said.

Angeles said only a crazy person would be bringing an AK47 firearm in broad daylight.

“I want to tell the military that it’s too perfect a script,” Angeles said, apparently implying that the firearms were planted just to provide basis for the apprehension of the five.

Earlier yesterday, Angeles told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo that Atty. Argee Guevarra first verified with the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) on Tuesday night if Dumagpi, whom he is representing, was really arrested.

Angeles said the ISAFP confirmed with Guevarra that Dumagpi was indeed detained but they would not say where.

During a visit yesterday morning at ISAFP, Angeles was told by an ISAFP personnel that indeed, they have taken into custody five persons, but the five were already transferred to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Camp Crame, Quezon City for the preparation of charges against them.

The five, however, does not include Dumagpi. Until 5pm yesterday, Angeles said Dumagpi remains unaccounted for.

From the CIDG, the five were brought to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila City where they were subjected to inquest proceedings.

The five were initially charged with illegal possession of firearms.

The police report said a continuing intelligence build-up and follow-up operations is being undertaken by the CIDG, in coordination with the ISAFP, to track the other PSB members.

“If we will see that there are still others who may be involved or who have complicity, we will effect their arrest,” PNP chief Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. told reporters yesterday afternoon at Camp Crame.

Angeles said a preliminary investigation on the case will be held on January 23.

In the meantime, the five will be detained at the ISAFP compound in Camp Aguinaldo, Angeles said.

The government has been saying in the past weeks that a destabilization plot against the Arroyo administration continues to hound the country. The destabilizers will allegedly take advantage of the mass actions that will be held on January 18th and 22nd as militants commemorate the EDSA II People Power Revolution and the 1987 Mendiola Massacre, respectively./DMS