Enrile ambush was fake: Montano

MANILA – A retired Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police (PC-INP) general who investigated the September 1972 ambush on then martial law administrator Juan Ponce Enrile believes the ambush was fake, contrary to Enrile’s own claim that it was real.

Speaking to ANC’s Headstart, retired general Ramon Montano said he waspart of the team from the Philippine Constabulary’s Criminal Investigation Service (CIS) that investigated the ambush, which was later used as reason by then President Ferdinand Marcos to declare martial law.

“It was fake. I don’t know who faked it but the ambush was fake because when we arrived at the scene of the crime or reported crime I found out that the bullet holes were all neatly aligned. Neatly aligned,” he said.

Montano said the alignment of the bullet holes was suspicious since any ambush using an automatic weapon would result in bullet holes “all over the place.”

“But it was neatly aligned and very clear,” he said.

He said he also talked to Col. Tirso Gador, Enrile’s trusted aide, who told them that no one was hurt in the ambush.

“I have done so many investigations in my life. I have (for) so long I stayed in the criminal investigation business and I know at first glance which is fake and which is not fake,” he said.

Asked how he feels about the whole business, he said: “Disgusted. I am just disgusted with the way they have distorted history. I am not concerned about our generation or the other generation who participated here. I am more concerned about the younger generation who does not know anything about this, who did not feel our feelings when we revolted against the Marcos government.”

Enrile recently claimed in his autobiography that the ambush in Wack-Wack Subdivision in Mandaluyong City on Sept. 22, 1972 was real. This runs counter to his own admission during the 1986 EDSA revolution that the ambush was staged.

For his part, Montano said he and other ordinary soldiers did not join the EDSA Revolution just to protect Enrile, Gregorio Honasan and Fidel Ramos.

“We revolted because we found out that the people were in revolution and we revolted because of that not because of Gringo and FVR or Enrile. We were the commanders then, and we were reporting directly to General [Fabian] Ver. But we broke the chain of command to help the Filipino people,” he said.

Asked for his advice for Enrile, he said: “He should retire.”

Montano is currently running for senator as an independent candidate.