Congressman Beltran walks out of inquest proceedings
First posted 01:20pm (Mla time) Feb 27, 2006
INQ7.net, Inquirer
A DEFIANT partylist lawmaker Crispin Beltran refused to recognize the inquest proceedings he was being subjected to over rebellion and coup d’etat charges and walked out of the proceedings in Camp Crame Monday.
“This is foolishness. This is not an inquest, charge me with contempt,” Beltran shouted, as he raised a clenched fist in defiance of the proceedings conducted by justice department prosecutors.
Several policemen tried to placate Beltran, who alongside his lawyer Romeo Capulong, refused to take their seats.
This compelled Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco to submit the case for resolution.
Capulong denounced the inquest proceedings as a “mockery of justice,” and dismissed it as a “farcical script of Malacañang.”
Beltran and several other personalities were charged on Monday by the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of rebellion and coup d’ etat.
Beltran, arrested based on a 22-year-old arrest warrant, was charged Monday with rebellion and coup d’ etat.
The inquest was conducted following the filing of charges.
Beltran was arrested in Bulacan by CIDG operatives last Saturday. Upon arrival in Camp Crame, he was shown a 1985 warrant of arrest issued during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos.
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Ka Bel’s media officer Lisa Ito gives the following account of the ‘inquest.’
Kinuha si ka Bel from the detention call – paalam ng CIDG na ipapa-medical langsiya, pero hindi siya sa ospital dinala kundi sa CIDG Conference Room. Walang walang kaalam-alam si Ka Bel. Walang binabanggit kung ano ang magaganap. A police accidentally blurted out that magkakainquest si CB.
On the ‘inquest’ proper
Binasa ng fiscal – no name,whoever the hell he is – yung charge vs CB in the presence of Atty. Romeo T.Capulong, Atty Sato Atty Pastores. Names of SO, LM, JV, RM, TC, JMS were also mentiond, along with Atty. Christopher Belmonte. They are all being charged with rebellion.
Tinanong ng judge kung may copy na ang lawyers . None.
Fiscal tells them to to receive the copies. They’re several inches thick. Within 10 minutes, kailangang mabasa daw lahat.
RTC went through the documents and abstained on the basis that it was
not possible to probe all the documents in the given time.
Atty. Capulong states the circumstances of pagkakahuli- no
warrant, warrant based on 1985 case, hindi pagsasalita ng rally ng
February 24, na siyang pinagbabasahan nila ng sedition charge.
Fiscal whoever the hell he is says there is no need to elaborate on that.
RTC is enraged, insists that it is part of due process to lay down circumstances of arrest.
Nag- intervene si Ka Bel. Tumayo. "Pabayaan mong magsalita ang aming abugado!"
RTCsays they need to study the sandamakmakdocuments they were handed.
RTC tells the fiscal na "huwag siyang magpagamit, alam mo kung ano ang
tungkulin niya at dapat maglingkod na may katuwiran. Halatang-halata na
scripted ang pagkakahuli kay Ka bel, nagpapagamit kay GMA."
Ka Bel and RTC walk out, denouncing the entire process as mockery.
Ka Bel: "Walang kwenta ang lahat ng ito. Ibalik niyo na ako sa selda ko kung gusto niyo!"
The 73-year old solon’s blood pressure shot up to 180/120
Fiscal tells RTC to sit down. "Atty. Capulong, alam mo ang ruling sa korte.
Matagal ka nang abugado." He tries to get RTC to sit down.
RTC: "Mas ikaw ang hindi nakakaalam ng ruling."
Session declared over. May kaso na.
