The Sandiganbayan ordered Wednesday the arrest of Retired Brig. General Percival M. Subala, former commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC), and seven co-accused in connection with a criminal charge filed against them over the loss of firearms in June 2000.
The lost military weapons included 72 units of Heckler and Koch MP5 cal. 9mm sub-machineguns.
Also covered by the arrest order were PMC assistant chief-of-staff Col. Cesar A. dela Peña; Navy Capt. Teodoro M. Briones; and SPO4 Richard B. Zules.
Also included were officials and employees of Trimark Ventures Trading Corp., Edelbert C. Uybuco, Gerardo D. Vijandre, Manuel Ferdinand B. Trinidad and Michael R. Boregas.
Trimark Ventures Trading Corp. is a government-accredited firearms supplier.
Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Ma. Cristina Cortez-Estrada signed the warrant. The court set a bail bond of P120,000 for each defendant.
The warrant was forwarded to the PNP, NBI, AFP and other law enforcement agencies.
Prosecutors said there was evidence of conspiracy among the accused in simulating a purchase of firearms.
This enabled the military officers to secure a clearance to takeout the guns from the PNP-Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) in Camp Crame.
But instead of delivering the guns to the Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, they were brought to the offices of Trimark Ventures where the firearms disappeared.
A police operation against suspected gunrunners in Subic, Zambales in October 2005 netted five of the ‘missing’ MP5s.
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."