Gringo Honasan captured in posh Quezon City subdivision

Fugitive former senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan was captured by combined military and police intelligence agents in a posh subdivision in Quezon City before dawn Wednesday, police said. Sr. Supt. Samuel Pagdilao Jr, spokesman for the National Police, said Honasan was arrested at the Enclave townhouse in Greenmeadows subdivision at 2:20 a.m. by elements of the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and Intelligence Service, Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp). Honasan was arrested along with his driver, Jaime Baladad (not Paladan as earlier announced), Pagdilao said. Sr. Supt. Benjamin delos Santos, CIDG spokesman, said Honasan is currently being interrogated at the CIDG-National Capital Region office in Camp Crame. Quoting police, radio station dzBB said Honasan was treated for a wound on his right foot, reportedly sustained when the fugitive former senator tried to escape the arresting lawmen. Honasan's arrest came nine months after the former Army colonel went into hiding in late February when the Makati regional trial court issued a warrant of arrest against him and six other co-accused in connection with the failed July 27, 2003 Oakwood mutiny. Honasan carried a P5-million bounty for his arrest. He is also a respondent in the rebellion charge filed by the government against a number of military and civilian personalities in connection with the botched February 24 coup. Radio station dzBB quoted doctors at the PNP-CIDG as saying the wound on Honasan's foot required 20 stitches to close. Also dzBB reported that Honasan was brought to PNP headquarters in Camp Crame and will be presented to the media Wednesday morning. Honasan reportedly received several high-profile visitors at Camp Crame, including former Sen. Vicente Sotto III. Honasan's wife was also there. Sotto version Sotto, in an interview over dzBB, said that Honasan was on board a car when he felt that he was being followed. Honasan then allegedly jumped out of the car and tried to lose pursuing lawmen in nearby houses. Sotto also said that Honasan was in Metro Manila because he planned to surface and face the charges filed against him. At Malacañang, security was tightened, with presidential guards roving the Palace compound. Only the gate at J.P. Laurel Street was open, dzBB reported. Three of Honasan's co-accused in the coup d' etat case have fallen into government hands: former bank executive Ernesto Macahiya, Romeo Lazo and Virgilio Briones. Each has a P500,000 reward for their arrest. Macahiya was nabbed in Los Banos, Laguna on April 28 while Lazo and Briones were arrested sometime June in Quezon City. Still to be arrested are retired Navy Capt. Felix Turingan, Honasan's classmate at the Philippine Military Academy; George Duldulao and Lina Reyes. At the time of Honasan's capture, he was being considered to be among the political opposition's senatorial candidates in the May 2007 elections. - GMANews.TV