Red Kapunan ‘had friends in high places’

The family of murdered labor leader Rolando “Ka Lando” Olalia is not at all surprised that Red Kapunan, a former Air Force colonel and leader of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), managed to hide for nearly 30 years.

“They (RAM) were influential for a time… And they had connections in high places,” said human rights lawyer Edre Olalia, a nephew of the late leader of the Kilusang Mayo Uno.

Edre added that Kapunan did not have to actually hide for the past 26 years because the RAM leader’s legal team was “wearing down the legal system, taking advantage of its weaknesses and loopholes, and futilely testing the resolve of the family, lawyers and witnesses.”

“He just ran out of options when the chips were down. He probably thought it would just go away over time. But justice never really had any prescriptive period or deadline,” Edre added.

Kapunan is one of the principal suspects in the murder of Olalia and his driver, Leonor Alay-ay, whose mutilated bodies were found in Antipolo on Nov. 13, 1986.

It was suspected that the murders were a prelude to the “God Save the Queen,” a coup plot by the RAM to rid the Corazon Aquino administration of left-leaning members. The following year, student activist Lean Alejandro was murdered.

Edre, the secretary general of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) that serves as one of the private prosecutors in the Olalia murder case, said Kapunan’s surrender came as a “pleasant surprise” to the Olalia family.

Why military custody?

They learned of the RAM leader’s surrender only last Wednesday at the pretrial of another suspect, former Sgt. Desiderio Perez at the Antipolo Regional Trial Court Branch 98 (not Branch 38 as earlier reported).

That Kapunan remained in military custody, detained at the Philippine Army’s Civil Military Unit (CMU) in Fort Bonifacio, does not sit well with the Olalia family.

For Edre, it was “highly irregular and anomalous, if not suspect.”

“The military officers keeping him may arguably even be charged for keeping him because they have no legal authority nor any court order to do so,” Edre said.

He pointed out that the “lower ranked” Perez, who surrendered in July, is under police custody.

“What is the difference of his situation with Perez?” Edre noted.

Sought for comment, Army spokesperson Maj. Harold Cabunoc reiterated that the court has been duly  informed that the military has custody of Kapunan.

“We are waiting for the court’s commitment order (on where to bring Kapunan next). We did not say we would not follow the court,” Cabunoc told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by phone.

Cabunoc added that it was the duty of the military to assist anyone who asks for its help as it was part of its mandate to serve and protect the people.