January 9, 2002
Metro Manila

Bits and Pieces of Leads

In the interest of the Filipino people the murder of Baron Cervantes must be solved and the culprits identified and punished for their crime.

It is for this reason that the Independent Council of Investigators was formed by a volunteer group of police, military, media and NGO leaders who believe that the death of Cervantes was just the proverbial tip of the iceberg that must be exposed to stop perpetuating the disunity in our society that only benefits foreign interests.

The ICI decries the penchant of the government’s intelligence and investigation units to put more weight on culling information for propaganda purposes than in gathering information for solving crimes and securing the people.

We urge our people to be vigilant and contribute their knowledge by contacting us at senaryo2002@yahoo.com.

Meanwhile let us pursue leads that were provided by the people:

• The cartographic sketch of the suspect in the killing of Cervantes looks like one of the suspects in the slaying of Ilocos Sur Auditor Augusto Chan.
• There are similarities in the killing of Cervantes and Popoy Lagman.
• Cervantes knew the person who shot him according to witnesses.
• Cervantes was set up by someone who knew his schedule for the day.
• Syndicates in the LTO were also talking about teaching Cervantes a lesson.
• COPA was beginning to doubt the loyalty of Cervantes and began isolating him from its activities.(Click to read the Inquirer.)
• ISAFP and the PNP considered Cervantes a security threat despite his ties with Golez.
• Despite their alliance during the impeachment trial of Erap, Cervantes and the people around Chavit Singson did not trust each other.
• Singson was told by his NPA contacts that Cervantes was a military agent since the time of Marcos. (Bayan and KMU provided the crowd during the exposé of Chavit at Klub Pilipino.)

From a former COPA asset: They killed Baron because he threatened to expose the plotters against GMA!
April 28, 2002

According to an informer, Baron Cervantes was aware that COPA leaders never abandoned their desire to set up a civilian-military junta. The informer said that COPA made the mistake of letting Baron know their plan thinking he was representing a significant force within the military. According to the former COPA operative, the job of "neutralizing" Baron was given to Chavit Singson by Peping Cojuangco who was warned by his military lackeys that Baron could ruin their plan to install the junta. According to the same informer his contacts confirmed that it was a Chavit triggerman who shot Baron dead after they set up a meeting with him. The triggerman, according to the contacts, was a former NPA in Ilocos (The PNP on the other hand arrested a discharged marine who is reportedly a member of Guardians for the killing of Cervantes. The suspect tagged Supt. Rafael Cardeno of the YOU as the mastermind. (Read report from PDI.)- May 17, 2002).

The former COPA asset also revealed that Popoy Lagman was killed for two reasons: 1) to show GMA that COPA can eliminate trouble-makers for her government at will; 2) and as a goodwill gesture to the CPP-NPA who wanted Lagman dead badly.

Crispin Beltran of KMU, a CPP-NPA front, recently confirmed that their forces were being wooed by COPA to support a junta-type of government. Remember the KMU and Bayan provided the crowd during the Chavit expose at Klub Pilipino. Baron at that time was a frequent caller of the natdem groups and acted as one of the security officers of Chavit during the said expose.

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E-mail from a “Friend of Baron”
January 8, 2002

Baron Cervantes only wanted to earn a living that will allow him to remain a free-roving self-styled rebel.

Cervantes offered retired General Lastimoso PR services worth P3 million but was politely turned down. He approached then LTO Director Abenina for a share of the motor insurance business there but was ignored.

Cervantes already had his consultancy jobs given by National Security Adviser Roilo Golez and Vice President Teofisto Guingona and appeared contented with them.

Except for his Nokia 9210 Cervantes did not show any sign of luxurious living. So at the time of his death he did not enjoy the lifestyle of his more privileged allies in Edsa II.

Actually the elite personalities in Edsa II treated him like a beggar just because he pestered them with requests for logistical support for his many initiatives.

Because Cervantes was not like them he was not trusted by the Edsa II elite, whose own insatiable appetite for wealth and power was exposed immediately after Marcos was overthrown.

Cervantes to them was a loose cannon that can work both ways. He was someone who can change loyalties any moment. He was good for rebelling but a risk for maintaining power and raking in billions in the process.

Cervantes was after all an ordinary guy, someone expendable.