Philippine coup suspect's surrender aborted

Justice Secretary Perez and the police wait in vain for Honasan's surrender

By CNN's Rufi Vigilar

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine government is taking the blame for the aborted surrender of an opposition senator accused of plotting to overthrow President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan was due to give himself up Wednesday afternoon to Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who negotiated and promised to take the former Army colonel into his custody.

Pimentel blamed an "overkill" of police troops at the Department of Justice building in the capital Manila for Honasan's failure to appear.

The government ordered the arrest of Honasan without a warrant last week for his alleged role in plotting the failed but violent May Day march on the presidential palace.

Honasan, a former army colonel with a loyal following in the military, is accused along with other opposition leaders of inciting sedition and rebellion.

They spoke before tens of thousands of demonstrators protesting the arrest and detention of deposed former President Joseph Estrada on April 25.

Estrada, who is being detained in a remote police camp south of the capital Manila, stands accused of economic plunder, a charge which carries a possible death penalty.

Warrantless arrests questioned

Honasan, who has evaded arrest by transferring from one safe house to another, was among three senators ordered arrested without warrants by the Arroyo government.

The Supreme Court overturned the Arroyo government's arrest order on Enrile

All three senators have questioned the legality of their arrest orders under the state of rebellion that President Arroyo declared shortly after last week's palace riot.

Arroyo lifted the state of rebellion Monday, after Philippine lawyers condemned it as an unconstitutional "prelude to martial law" and a "partisan" move ahead of May 14 elections.

Honasan and fellow senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Miriam Defensor-Santiago are running for re-election in next Monday's polls and accused the government of trying to undermine their election bids.

The Supreme Court earlier ordered the release of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, while the justice department put off the arrest of Santiago, a former trial court judge, who threatened to arrest her arresters.

All three senators sided with Estrada during his aborted impeachment trial.

The three senators were part of the impeachment tribunal majority that voted to dismiss bank evidence linking Estrada to millions of dollars in ill-acquired wealth.

The January 16 vote triggered massive demonstrations against Estrada, which culminated in his ouster four days later and the assumption of then Vice President Arroyo as the country's 14th president.

The May 14 elections is seen as a virtual referendum on Arroyo's governance.

A fourth key suspect in the alleged coup plot, former national police chief Panfilo Lacson, is also running for a Senate seat and is still in hiding.

Philippine military under shadow of suspicion
7 May 2001
Philippine 'rebellion' decree lifting
6 May 2001
Supreme Court bind over Arroyo powers
3 May 2001
Arroyo's state of rebellion brings arrests
1 May 2001

Philippine Office of the Press Secretary
Philippine National Police

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