PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — State prosecutors have expressed dismay over the ruling rendered by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez absolving Senator-elect Gregorio Honasan of criminal liability in connection with the July 27, 2003 Oakwood mutiny.
Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon, who heads the panel of prosecutors handling the Oakwood mutiny case, admitted that they were surprised by the decision of the justice secretary to reverse the panel’s resolution indicting Honasan as principal accused in the coup case.
“I would maintain my position that Honasan is the leader of the 2003 Oakwood coup, but it’s immaterial to discuss it now because the secretary of justice has the prerogative to reverse or modify the recommendations of the prosecution panel brought up on appeal. But if we were to be asked to resolve it again, that would still be our findings,” Fadullon said.
Fadullon said his group never stated in their previous resolution that Honasan was party to the actual takeover of Oakwood Premier Apartments in Glorietta, Makati, a point which Gonzalez emphasized as basis for granting Honasan’s petition for review.
“What we mentioned, as testified by witnesses, was that in the recruitment stage, Honasan was there and he was there in the afternoon when negotiations took place, as opposed to Trillanes who was among the dramatis personae in the actual event. There is no evidence on the supposed blood compact but the prosecution’s theory is that it is part of the grand plan. That is why we came up with our recommendation in the investigation finding that Honasan is really a leader. But it seems it was not appreciated that way,” he stressed.
On Friday, Gonzalez reversed the prosecutors’ finding of probable cause against Honasan for allegedly masterminding the failed coup, citing insufficiency of evidence.
Fadullon explained that the mutiny did not just happen as it was clear from the evidence that it was a carefully orchestrated event.
Admitting that the panel was not consulted about the reversal, Fadullon said they were expecting at the very least that Gonzalez would merely downgrade Honasan’s complicity from being a principal accused to accomplice or accessory.
While some of the members of the prosecution panel were frustrated by the reversal, Fadullon stressed that the ruling did not affect the prosecution’s case against Honasan’s co-accused, including the camp of Senator-elect Lt./SG Antonio Trillanes IV.