Wednesday, April 23, 2008 Police see arrest of Faeldon soon
A TOP police official on Tuesday hinted the imminent arrest of fugitive Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon, one of the core leaders of the short-lived Oakwood mutiny in July 2003 who escaped last November.
“We are conducting our best efforts for the capture of Faeldon. He will be arrested soon,” said Deputy Director General Jesus Verzosa, deputy chief for administration of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Faeldon escaped shortly after taking part in the November 29 standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City. The power grab attempt was led by former Scout Ranger chief Brigadier General Danilo Lim and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
Last week, a man claiming to be Faeldon called ABS-CBN news network and implicated Senator Gregorio Honasan in the mutiny.
Honasan had been cleared by the Department of Justice prosecutors upon review of the coup d’etat case against him.
The lawyer of Faeldon, Trixie Angeles, said the man was an impostor and was a part of a military to get him arrest. Last Monday, the man called GMA-7 and said his real name is Efren and that he was commissioned by the PNP to tell the lies.
“We are still analyzing what happened and we cannot have an official pronouncement yet as to the events that transpired in the past few days,” said Verzosa when asked for his comments on the fake Faeldon that was interviewed earlier.
When asked why it is taking time for the PNP to re-arrest Faeldon, Verzosa said: “It’s easy to hide in urban areas.” Verzosa, at the same time, doubted if Faeldon is being coddled by a fellow officer linked to the mutinous Magdalo Group.
The PNP has raised a P1 million reward for information that would lead to Faeldon’s re-arrest. The Magdalo leader first escaped in December 2005 but was re-arrested by intelligence agents a month later in Malabon in the company of a military lawyer, Captain Candy Rivas. (VR/Sunnex)
