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Friday, February 21, 2003
Solons name 21 NBI civvie agents, urge probe
By Garry A. Cabotaje
CEBU -- Eight more men believed to be confidential agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were named in a letter by a Cebu City congressman who wants them summoned to a House inquiry.
Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south) wrote to the House committee on civil, political and human rights that at least 21 confidential agents of the NBI 7 be compelled to attend the committee's executive session in Manila.
"We feel that the appearance of these persons is imperative so that we may finally be able to arrive at the truth and terminate the case," read Cuenco's Feb. 19 letter.
The letter was also signed by Reps. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north) and Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district).
The committee, chaired by Rep. Loretta Ann "Etta" Rosales (Party-list, Akbayan), summoned the confidential agents but none of them appeared in the last congressional hearing in Cebu last Feb. 15.
Rosales' office just received the letter yesterday. Lawyer Byron Bocar, Akbayan staff member, said Rosales may consult other committee members before approving Cuenco's request.
The congressional inquiry stemmed from the strafing of a Plantation Bay Mitsubishi van in Mandaue City last Dec.13, nearly killing five passengers on board.
The NBI 7 agents mistook the van as the one used by alleged big-time drug suspect Roberto "Obit" Hegremosa.
Of the 21 civilian agents, at least eight names are new, including Frederick Lim, who was tagged as the alleged owner of Starex van.
The wounded Plantation Bay hotel workers claimed that a dark Starex van blocked their path in Looc, Mandaue City, before they were fired upon by armed men. But the NBI 7 denied using a Starex van in that bungled operation.
The seven other newly identified civilian agents are Wilson Go, Joshwel Simolde, James Ho, Patrick Mendoza, Norman Quijado, Alexander Jo and Val del Rosario.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), however, said it still has to dig deeper into the participation of the "new" confidential agents in the incident.
The rest of the confidential agents, whom Cuenco named in his letter, were David Pantano Jr., owner of the Nissan pickup with plate number GWD 701 that is registered in Lapu-Lapu City; Joey Cal; Paul Lauro, dyAB radio reporter; Allan Magallon; Noe Dimaunahan; Rick Cruz; Boy Son, the taxi driver; Eric Ayag; Rene Junio; Juanito Lim; Ernesto Elizondo Jr.; Ruben Nepomuceno; and Dennis Prado.
"We strongly suggest . . . that the confidential agents who were identified by several witnesses, including the victims as well and the CIDG 7, be subpoenaed by our committee in order to compel their attendance," the letter read.
Earlier, Cuenco described as "totally hogwash and revolting" the text messages that alleged that he extorted money from confidential agents so the committee would not summon them. Sun.Star Cebu |
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