PNP News Releases 2008

CRIMINAL CHARGES FILED VS. ADAZA, CARDEÑO, ET AL

Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) are following leads gathered from arrested lawyer Homobono Adaza, fugitive Rafael Cardeño and three other former military men to arrest retired Colonel Edgardo Tapia.

Tapia is co-accused in criminal charges for Proposal to Commit Coup d' etat, and Swindling/Estafa filed by the CIDG before the Department of Justice. Tapia remains at-large.

Adaza and Cardeño, along with Army Lt Col Oscarlito Mapalo, and retired Colonels Ernie Amboy and Cesar Dela Peña, were arrested by CIDG agents Wednesday morning at a mall in Quezon City.

In his report to PNP Chief, Director General Avelino I Razon Jr., CIDG Director, Chief Superintendent Raul Castañeda said Cardeño, Mapalo, Amboy and Dela Peña are detained at the PNP Custodial Center, while Atty Adaza is confined at the PNP General Hospital due to hypertension.

Razon directed Castañeda to field a special team to arrest for Tapia.

The five arrested suspects were presented on Thursday by the CIDG before a DOJ panel led by Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco for inquest proceedings.

Velasco ordered the CIDG to return the Warrants of Arrest issued by the courts against Cardeño and Mapalo. He also ordered the continued confinement of Adaza at the PNP General Hospital upon the recommendation of attending physicians.

Adaza, Mapalo, Amboy and Dela Peña were also charged for violation of PD 1829 (Obstruction of Justice) for allegedly harboring Rafael Cardeño who is wanted for Murder by the Las Piñas RTC Branch 275, and for Malversation of Public Property by the Quezon City RTC Branch 217.

Cardeño, on the otherhand was also charged for violation of Article 178 of the Revised Penal Code (Concealing True Name) for using the fictitious name Randy Linares Marvella, the identity he assumed in his LTO driver's license, Citybank credit cards, National Auto Club ID, and an employee's ID under the name of Randy L Marvella, purportedly an encoder of the Euro Air Emission Testing Center.

CIDG records also revealed that Mapalo has an outstanding Warrant of Arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan for alleged malversation.

Charges of proposal to commit coup d' etat, and swindling/extortion stemmed from complaints filed by Atty Raymond Fortun and Ms. Joanne Laurilla, General Manager of Buenavista Island Resort.

Fortun alleged that Adaza and the five other accused, representing OMT Security Services Inc., proposed to his Japanese client and investors to raise USD4-million or Php160-million "to finance a coup d' etat to be organized by OMT's friends in the military.