Gringo Honasan Captured

[baron]

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As per the news, there are about two or three informants who will benefit with the 5-million reward.

It's really good for us that Honasan was captured by the police authorities. He has been hiding from the police ever since the failed coup plot in February. And the people helping Honasan now seem to be portraying him not as a fugitive but a hero, maybe due to the upcoming elections.

But then again, who would believe that this fugitive is really a hero? He even tried to escape when he was being arrested. This and many more shows that he is a destabilizer of this country. The arrest for this guy would only mean less burden for our political stability.

[Shofu]

dats good news for now pero sigurado ko mokalit na kahelum ang issue unya sagolan dayun politika..Storbot gihapon nah!!

[potterboy]

wala man gani dutli si ecleo. hehehe...

[DEStRucto]

hayahay ang 5 million

[erwin_rommel]

hehehe nabuking nuun iyang babaye. dugay naku naka dungog og rumors nga naay siya'y babae dha sa lahug ingn sa friend sa aku father, unya karun ra naku na verify nga true diay ang rumor

[budmendz]

hehehe nabuking nuun iyang babaye. dugay naku naka dungog og rumors nga naay siya'y babae dha sa lahug ingn sa friend sa aku father, unya karun ra naku na verify nga true diay ang rumor

O, bitaw dia ra... nagsugod na ug panggula ning estorya:

PNP’s dilemma: To charge or not to charge Ingrid
By Jose Rodel Clapano
The Philippine Star 11/17/2006

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has ordered an investigation on the involvement of Ingrid Ramos in destabilization efforts against President Arroyo.

Gonzalez said Ramos would be investigated for giving refuge to former senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan in his nine months as a fugitive.

"We have not started (the investigation) yet. I have ordered the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to start investigating the people who might have given sanctuary to (former) senator Honasan. In this particular case of Mrs. Ramos, we will dig into her background," Gonzalez said.

Honasan was captured early Wednesday while trying to flee from the house of Ramos at the Enclave Townhouse in Greenmeadows subdivision in Barangay Ugong, Quezon City. Also arrested was his driver Jaime Baladad.

Honasan hurt his legs after he reportedly jumped from a window to the roof of an adjacent bungalow.

Gonzalez said it was impossible for Ramos to deny knowing Honasan since she allowed him to stay in the house.

"We want to find (out) whether she is one of those people giving sanctuary to senator Honasan when he was on the run or whether this was just a usual visit of a friend," Gonzalez said.

He said Ramos should explain why she allowed Honasan to stay in her house for a time.

Gonzalez said Ramos could be held liable for harboring a fugitive.

"I think so. But it will depend on what is (her) relationship (with Honasan)," Gonzalez said.

"The mere fact that she let him into her house and allowed him to stay there for a time is already something that I think she should explain to us," Gonzalez said.

The NBI said they are conducting a background check on Ramos.

The police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) under Director Jess Versoza also said they would look into the extent of the liability of Ramos on the possibility of charging her for harboring a fugitive.

On the other hand, NBI Deputy Director for Regional Operations Services (DDROS) Reynaldo Esmeralda pointed out the capture of Honasan revealed several details that could lead to some people aiding the former senator and giving him refuge.

"Hopefully, with the arrest of senator Gringo Honasan, we could identify other participants such as the coddlers in the failed coup attempt," Esmeralda said.

Esmeralda added the NBI is reviving its investigation over the failed Feb. 24 coup stemming from the capture of Honasan.

Honasan was named respondent in the July 27, 2003 failed Oakwood mutiny in Makati City staged by a group of junior officers who led over 300 of their men in accusing President Arroyo and high government and military officials of high level corruption.

The former senator was also charged for rebellion in the failed coup attempt last February.

With the arrest of Honasan, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it could now proceed with the preliminary investigation for the Feb. 24 coup attempt, where Honasan and 48 others were named respondents.

Esmeralda said they would also "backtrack" into the movements and activities of Honasan, including the places where he went into hiding and the people who had helped him. He said Baladad will be included in the investigation.

Esmeralda though admitted they have little information on Baladad.

But on Ramos, the only information gathered from her so far is her birthplace in Cebu, Esmeralda said.
Two versions
The capture of Honasan Wednesday sparked an issue because of the circumstances of his arrest.

The focus was on Honasan but details surrounding his arrest were clouded with controversy due to the inclusion of Ramos.

A police officer, part of the team that arrested Honasan, said the former senator pleaded not to highlight his arrest near the house of Ramos.

"Apparently ayaw nya kasing malaman ng publiko kung saan siya naaresto. Sigurado kasi magkakaroon pa ng intriga," said the police officer.

He said the police and the military operatives which made the arrest simply reported the manner of Honasan’s arrest to avoid conflicting information.

The policeman noted some of his colleagues gave in to the request of Honasan, on fears that opposition leaders might later discredit the operation and retaliate.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon announced Honasan was apprehended while trying to flee from the house of a "close friend," later identified as Ramos.

Calderon said Honasan was injured when he jumped over a fence in a brief house-to-house chase.

Former senator Vicente Sotto III, a friend of Honasan, had another version of the arrest.

He said Honasan was arrested during a brief car chase at the vicinity of Christ the King Church along E. Rodriguez Avenue.

Sotto claimed Honasan jumped out of the car and ran. He added Honasan hurt himself after he jumped over a fence.

Sotto claimed he was with Honasan in the car when he noticed they were being followed.

Honasan decided to jump out of the car and entered a compound by climbing over a fence.

In the effort, he lost his shoes, which explained why the former senator suffered lacerations in his right foot, Sotto said.

But the police officer who was among the team that arrested Honasan took exception to Sotto’s version.

"First, Sotto has no personal knowledge of the incident. What he has been telling the media was merely based on hearsay," he pointed out.

The circumstances of Honasan’s arrest also caused a marital spat between Honasan and his wife Jane, according to the police official.

"Kung nakinig ka lang sa akin hindi mo aabutin ang ganito," the police officer quoted Jane as telling Honasan while being treated for his injuries at the PNP General Hospital.

"May mga anak na ang mga anak natin ganyan ka pa rin," Jane reportedly told her husband.
Too late
Gonzalez likewise scored Sotto for involving himself in the arrest of Honasan.

Gonzalez claimed the former senator is using the event as an opportunity to advance his chances to make a comeback to the Senate in the elections next year.

"He just wanted to share the spotlight because he is running for the Senate. Otherwise, if he will insist that we will investigate him," Gonzalez said.

Sotto was among the close allies of Honasan who immediately went to the PNP General Hospital when the former senator was being treated for his injuries.

According to Sotto, he had been negotiating with the government on behalf of Honasan for his surrender three months before the arrest.

Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza admitted talking to Sotto in the effort to convince Honasan to surrender, DOTC spokesman and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairman Thompson Lantion said.

Lantion confirmed Mendoza had a talk with Sotto which occurred more than a month ago.

"We discussed his (Honasan’s) condition and we discussed the backdoor talks. Ang tingin ko tuloy ang pag-uusap namin because the discussion is one between friends," Sotto later said. -With Cecille Suerte Felipe, Evelyn Macairan, Helen Flores, Delon Porcalla, Myleth Katleen Dalisay



Ang nakadaut ra ba ining Sotto kay mo-apil sa salida. Ma-ilhan gyud nimo dayon ang mga tawong limbongan kay mag himo man dayon ug mga istorya. Unya mao niy inyong iboto pagka Senador rong sunod tuig? Pastilan Ginoo.

[budmendz]

Ingon si Destructo nga "Hayahay ang 5 million"... Agree kaayo ko kay karon dako na gyud ug posibilidad nga gibudhia-an si Honasan sa iyang mga tawo sauna. Dia pa...

Betrayal begets betrayal
By Jaime Laude
The Philippine Star 11/17/2006

Disgruntled former military colleagues of ex-senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan betrayed the fugitive politician and provided information to the military and police that led to his arrest in Quezon City, military sources disclosed yesterday.

"Easily said, he was betrayed by some people whom he also betrayed earlier," said a source from the intelligence community who declined to identify the people who gave Honasan away.

After nine months in hiding, Honasan was nabbed at about 2:30 a.m. last Wednesday while trying to escape from a unit at the Enclave Townhouse in Greenmeadows subdivision, Quezon City, a posh residential area behind the Armed Forces headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo.

Sources said the information provided by the "assets" was the lead that resulted in Honasan’s arrest.

"These people were so close to the former senator (Honasan) before... they know of his movements and activities," another source told The STAR.

The sources said the disgruntled colleagues of Honasan included former soldiers who were dismissed from the service after joining Honasan in various coup attempts against then President Corazon Aquino in 1987 and 1989.

The ex-soldiers blamed Honasan for destroying the careers of promising junior officers that joined the coup attempts.

Sources said the breakthrough leading to Honasan’s capture

actually came in June, four months after the former senator went into hiding after he was again implicated in the foiled coup attempt that was supposed to be launched during the EDSA People Power anniversary celebration last Feb. 24.

Honasan’s warrant of arrest was, however, issued for the rebellion charges filed against him for his alleged participation in the Oakwood mutiny on July 27, 2003 in Makati.

The source said acting on the information provided by Honasan’s former associates, the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) immediately assigned two units from the Military Intelligence Group, MIG-21 and MIG-24 to track down the former senator.

After it was established that Honasan was regularly visiting a townhouse in Greenmeadows, an intricate trap was laid out to corner the fugitive.

The source added that military agents "planted" inside the subdivision also discovered that Honasan’s host at the townhouse where he was frequently seen was a woman in her late 40s identified as Ingrid Ramos.

Sources claimed that Ramos and Honasan are lovers and even had a child. The report, however, is not yet verified.

During the raid at the townhouse, the source claimed that it was Honasan, in fact, who was more nervous than Ramos.

"Mas worried si Gringo kaysa kay Ingrid," the source described the behavior of the two after the raid.

He added that Ramos was supposed to be arrested for harboring Honasan, a fugitive from the law, but "somebody" prevailed upon the military and police raiders.

Honasan’s capture was a result of human intelligence with some technical support both coming from the ISAFP and the Army’s Intelligence Service Group (ISG), the source said.

When everything was already in order and the actual trap would be executed, the ISAFP leadership decided to invite the police to join the operation and let them serve the warrant of arrest against Honasan.

"Efforts ng ISAFP lahat, invited lang sila (PNP)," said the source.

He said the military and police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) agents initially followed Honasan when he went out of his mother’s house at Industrial Valley subdivision in Marikina on board a maroon Toyota Revo, which cruised around Metro Manila before proceeding to Greenmeadows.

The source said the operation was a success because of the valuable information provide by the "assets."

"Without them he (Honasan) could be still on the loose until now," the source said.

He said the military is now working with the Philippine National Police for the release of the P5 million reward offered by the government to the informant who could provide leads resulting in the arrest of Honasan.

Prior to his arrest Honasan had been sighted outside Metro Manila, prompting police and military to send agents to investigate in Sorsogon, Masbate, Negros Occident, Davao and Iloilo.

CIDG agents were recently dispatched to arrest Honasan at the former senator’s ancestral house in Bulan, Sorsogon. Honasan was not there.

Follow-up raids were also conducted in Negros and Iloilo which turned out negative.

"It’s already Honasan’s style to feed false information about his whereabouts to confuse or shake off efforts to get him," the source added.
Repentant
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Honasan appeared "repentant" after his arrest and even expressed willingness to help bring about political stability in the country.

"He was very subdued and I think of course understandably depressed. So I think he needs rest and I hope that his experience will convince him that violent methods to try to get power are really not the way to go," Puno said.

Puno said he checked in Honasan at the Asian Hospital in Muntinlupa City where the former senator will be under observation until today to ensure that he would not suffer any infection of the wound he sustained while attempting to evade arrest.

"I heard nothing from him but assurances of cooperation not just with the investigation and with his detention but he even... (appealed for dialogue) to help stabilize the political situation," he said.

Puno said there should be a sign of sincerity not just from Honasan but from his whole group that they would stop hatching coup plots.

He said the Cabinet members during their national security cluster meetings objected to any kind of compromise or deals with Honasan, "for as long as he was on the loose."

Puno said there is no reason to make any deal with Honasan since the Department of Justice and the courts would now handle his case.

Senior Superintendent Asher Dolina, chief of the CIDG-Metro Manila who handcuffed Honasan during his arrest, was himself a former supporter of the cause of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) which is also known as Rebolusyonaryong Alyansa Makabansa that the former senator and other idealist military officers organized.

Dolina was also charged and detained for one year and five months after he joined the Honasan-led coup against former President Corazon Aquino in 1989.

In a sudden twist of fate, Dolina found himself putting handcuffs on Honasan after his arrest at Greenmeadows.

"Wala namang emotional moment. Nakalimutan ko na yun at naniniwala ako na dapat harapin nya ang consequences of his actions in court," said Dolina.

After the coup attempts failed, the government offered amnesty and Dolina availed of the amnesty program and remained in the police force.

"Actually nag-sympathize ako dun sa mga sinabi nya nung 1989 kasi at that time mababa ang sweldo namin at walang promotion. My personal status at yung feeling na napabayaan were among the reasons that me and some of my colleagues supported his cause," Dolina told The STAR.

While in detention, Dolina said he realized that raising arms against the government was not a good way to address the problem in the system.

Dolina was also team leader of the CIDG when a joint team of the police and military agents arrested six fugitive members of the Magdalo soldiers in a rented house on 34 Adler street corner Doña Juliana St., Filinvest 2, Quezon City last July.

The arrest of six Magdalo soldiers –1st Lt. Sonny Sarmiento, 1st Lt. Angelbert Gay, 2nd Lt. Aldrin Baldonado, 1st Lt. Nathaniel Rabonza, 1st Lt. Patricio Bumidang and Navy Lt. Senior Grade Kiram Sadava, who took part in the Oakwood mutiny –should serve as eye opener to adventurist young soldiers pushing for change in the society by staging a coup, Dolina said.

Three of six Magdalo soldiers –Sadava, Dumidang and 1st Lt. Lawrence San Juan –have indicated their intention to cooperate with the government.

CIDG chief Director Jesus Verzosa maintained that the arrest of Honasan had no political color but was simple police work of arresting a fugitive wanted for rebellion. - Aurea Calica, Cecille Suerte Felipe

[baron]

If that’s the case, then the woman should also be charged from aiding a fugitive from justice. It's not a question of whether this woman has illicit relationship with Gringo but the real question is, does she know that Gringo has a standing warrant of arrest and presently hiding?

But then again, almost everyone knew that Gringo is hiding. More so, the fact that said woman is a close friend of Gringo according to news, then she cannot deny that she know that Gringo is hiding from police authorities.