Sandigan orders arrest of ex-Marines chief, 7 others over case of missing firearms

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a former commandant of the Philippine Marines and seven other co-accused over the loss of 72 units of Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine guns in 2000. Sandiganbayan's Fifth Division ordered arrested retired Brigadier General Percival Subala and seven other people - including military and police officials, and civilian respondents - who were charged with illegal disposition of firearms based on alleged conspiracy to simulate the Marines' purchase of the firearms from Trimark Ventures Trading Corporation on June 21, 2000 Others who were ordered arrested by the antigraft court are: • Former Marines assistant chief-of-staff Colonel Cesar dela Peña; • Navy Capt. Teodoro Briones; • SPO4 Richard Zules; • Edelbert Uybuco; • Gerardo Vijandre; • Manuel Ferdinand Trinidad; and • Michael Boregas. The arrest warrant was signed by Associate Justice Ma. Cristina Cortez-Estrada and recommended a bail bond of P120,000 for each of the accused. Prosecutors said they found evidence of conspiracy among the accused in simulating a purchase of firearms which enabled the accused military officers to secure a clearance to take out the guns from the PNP-Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) in Camp Crame. In fact, prosecutors said dela Peña wrote FED for authority to purchase the MP5s on the strength of an authorization from Subala despite the fact that the Marine Corps "had no budget, nor intention to purchase any firearms." But after taking out the firearms from Camp Crame, the sub-machine guns were brought to the offices of Trimark Ventures and later disappeared, instead of delivering the guns to the Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio. In October 2005, a police operation against suspected gunrunners in Subic, Zambales netted five of the ‘missing’ MP5s. - GMANews.TV