BY VICTOR REYES

THE military yesterday released one of five former soldiers who were arrested Tuesday for illegal possession of firearms and for alleged involvement in a plot to destabilize the Arroyo administration.

Another of the five arrested was also cleared by government prosecutors for lack of evidence but had not been released as of press time, according to lawyer Trixie Angeles. She declined to give a name.

Former Scout Ranger Sgt. Orlando Valencia walked out of his detention cell at the Intelligence Service of the AFP (Isafp) around 3:30 p.m. after government prosecutors exonerated him of the gun raps filed against him by the police.

Angeles said that during inquest proceedings on Wednesday, she asked government prosecutors why five were charged when only three firearms – two M16 rifles and an AK47 – were seized by arresting agents from the soldiers near their alleged safehouse in Galas, Quezon City.

She said the complaint filed by the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group before the justice department Wednesday said Valencia "was not handling a gun so naturally he could not be accused of illegal possession."

Arrested with Valencia were former Corporals Redante Maranan, Walter Francisco, Ramon Perania, and Kim Agas.

Valencia, Francisco and Perania were Scout Rangers and were among those discharged for alleged involvement in a supposed plot by Army and Marines officers to grab power from government in February 2006. Agas was from the Marines.

Previous reports identified Maranan as an active Scout Ranger but Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres said Maranan had been dropped from rolls after he went AWOL (absence without official leave) following the February 2006 supposed power grab attempt.

On Cpl. Jamie Dumagpi who Angeles said was arrested Monday by Isafp agents at his Camp Aguinaldo residence, the military confirmed the active Scout Ranger is in its custody but declined to say if he is a suspect or a witness to a destabilization plot.

Angeles said no charges of coup d’état, rebellion or sedition were lodged against the five because "there were no overt acts, there’s nothing."

She said the "mere rumors and unsubstantiated allegations" are being floated to justify an extension of the tour of duty of Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

Esperon, who assumed as AFP chief in July 2006, is reaching the retirement age of 56 on February 9.

"There is no plot. It is just General Esperon’s living nightmare," Angeles said.

She also said she doubts if Valencia, who she said had been working as a family driver for at least two days prior to his arrest, could get his job back.

‘EVIDENCE PLANTED’

Angeles accused the arresting officers of planting the firearms. She said the arresting team was composed only of Isafp agents, and did not include policemen as claimed by the CIDG.

In a press conference, Angeles presented to media Valencia’s wife, Mercedita, who brought with her the youngest of their three children, two-year-old Mark Orland.

Mrs. Valencia, who broke into tears, said she believed the evidence was planted.

She said after her husband was discharged from the service last December for his alleged involvement in the February 2006 power grab attempt, he had to find a job to support the family.

Perania’s wife, Helen, said she does not believe the accusations against her husband.

Angeles, referring to the moves against the "Valencias and Peranias," said: "Doon sa mga taong gumagawa ng kwento at gumagawa ng kaso …ito yung mukha ng mga taong inaapi ninyo… One of these days dadami din sila. Pag nagipon-ipon ang galit nila, saan kayo hahanapin?"

MORE ARRESTS

Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, chief of the AFP public information office, said the lawyers of the arrested could bring their allegations, including planting of evidence, to court.

"These are the things that the lawyers can contest before the court but one thing is definite, that these firearms were taken from their custody. These were seen in the area where they were arrested," he said.

Bacarro refused to elaborate on the plot in which the soldiers are supposedly involved, but hinted of more arrests.

He also refused to say when the supposed destabilization plot would be launched by the group of the five soldiers.

"We are not only looking at the group of these five but we are also looking at efforts coming from the Left to take advantage of the big aggrupation of people that would be conducting a rally on Jan. 22.

"There are other groups that we are focusing, particularly the NPAs," he added.

INTENSIFIED MANHUNT

PNP chief Avelino Razon Jr. said he has ordered his men to conduct an intensified manhunt against the "few" remaining cohorts of the captured former soldiers.

Razon said the five were part of the Magdalo group that launched the Oakwood mutiny in 2003 and have formed another group which they call "Para sa Bayan."

He said Para sa Bayan is a newly formed group under Brig. General Danilo Lim.

"We really still have no idea as to how many members this Para sa Bayan has…Wala pa kaming nakikitang politiko sa likod nito. But we see may mas malaking grupo dito. Ito (five arrested) ay parang cell pa lang ito," he added.

It was not known if he was referring to a group whose existence was made public by the military about two years ago. – With Raymond Africa and Jocelyn Montemayor