Grateful cops to ensure safety of witness vs Trillanes

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said yesterday that the witness who surfaced the other day to disprove denials by Navy Lt. (sg) Antonio Trillanes IV over ownership of a piece of property will be provided with security to ensure her safety.

Metro police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Velasco cited yesterday Anastacia Santarin, a member of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC), for her courage after she surfaced to provide her testimony to further bolster the case against Trillanes, who police claim was the owner of a compound in Novaliches, Quezon City, where explosives and ammunition where found last week.

"With Santarin’s revelation, she has practically exonerated the police from wild accusations of fabricating evidence with the recent discovery of several rounds of high-powered ammunition in the Quezon City property reportedly owned by the Magdalo Group leader and his associate Estrella Pabalan," Velasco said.

The NCRPO chief said Santarin, a party-claimant of the property at Lot 3, Block 2, Gloria V Subdivision, Santan corner Sampaguita streets, Barangay Talipapa in Novaliches, has come out to clear her name and to identify Trillanes as the person who lodged a complaint with the barangay accusing her of trespassing.

"We will not compromise the integrity of the PNP by planting evidence. Our job as law enforcers is to maintain peace and order and to investigate. There were explosions, our cops responded," Velasco stressed.

Trillanes earlier denied owning the Novaliches compound.

Velasco promised to ensure the safety of the witness as he announced that the PNP will formally file with the Department of Justice the appropriate charges against Trillanes next week.

In a press conference last Friday, Santarin said that she and her husband had thrown away boxes of communication equipment on the property on March 28, which prompted Trillanes to file a complaint of trespassing against them on March 29.

It was the same barangay blotter entry found by CPD investigators where the Navy officer lodged a complaint against Anastacia Santarin for trespassing. In the narration of his actual complaint, Trillanes identified Pabalan as his associate and even identified the caretaker "Lando" as his. He then signed the complaint.

The complaint came two days after Santarin lodged a complaint, with the same barangay, of "harassment" against Trillanes and Pabalan.

Last Aug. 21, a series of explosions at Lot 3, Block 2, of Gloria V Subdivision prompted BSDO personnel and concerned citizens to call for firefighting units and assistance from CPD Station 3 as well as the Special Weapons and Tactics-Explosives and Ordnance Disposal Unit.

During the post-blast investigation, operatives of the SWAT-EOD, led by SPO4 Arnulfo Franco, unearthed 60 pieces of caliber 50 ammunition; broken pieces of C-4 plastic explosives; broken pieces of electric blasting caps; and broken parts of a light anti-tank weapon buried in a shallow ditch beneath a heap of garbage. Apart from the ammunition and explosives, CPD investigators found four arm bands bearing the Magdalo Group insignia; a piece of crumpled paper bearing the names of 24 AFP personnel with their corresponding ranks; and an abandoned truck. – Non Alquitran