Army Chief Bares Deep Alliance Between Coup Leaders And Commies

Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon inside the headquarters Fort Bonifacio in Manila. Esperon bared Thursday 21 Feb 2006 a deep alliance between coup leaders and communist insurgents and a plot to take hostage senior military and government officials and install a transition government. Below, a soldier returns to his unit inside the base. (Zamboanga Journal)

MANILA (Zamboanga Journal / 02 Mar) Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon on Thursday bared a deeper alliance between failed coup leaders and members of the communist New People's Army (NPA) that exposed a plot to seize military and government officials and bring down President Arroyo and install a transition government.

"We have uncovered a plot by coup leaders, their civilian supporters and communist insurgents to take military and government officials hostage and forced the President to step down and then install a transition government," he told the Zamboanga Journal.

Esperon earlier said captured coup leader Lt. Lawrence San Juan had allied his group with the Communist Part of the Philippines and the New People's Army (NPA) and plotted to overthrow the Arroyo government. San Juan was arrested in Batangas province south of Manila last month after he met with rebel leaders.

He said he would go public about details of the plot in the coming days that would further link former senator Gregorio Honasan, who was tagged as one of the alleged leader of the failed coup.

It was not immediately known how damaging to the military and the government any information San Juan had passed on the rebels, but it could jeopardize ongoing operation against the NPA and their supporters.

Esperon has been going around military camps and talking to soldiers, urging them to remain apolitical and not to join any groups plotting to overthrow the government.

"Our troops are intact and our morale is high. The soldiers are loyal to the Constitution and they strictly adhere to the chain of command," he said.

Esperon was seen everyday talking to soldiers in Fort Bonifacio, one of the biggest military camp in Manila.

"He is like a big brother and a father to each and everyone of us. We respect him so much and as he say, we follow the chain of command and stay loyal to the Flag, the Constitution and remain free from outside negative influence," said Army corporal Juanito Santiago.

On Wednesday, President Arroyo, in a televised address, said she wants to end a seven-day-old state of emergency she imposed over an alleged coup plot, but would wait three more days for the police and military to make the recommendation.

"I will lift the state of emergency once I am convinced, the national police and the departments of justice and defense, have regained full control of the situation,'' she said.

Arroyo said the government will review the level of security in 24 to 72 hours. She declared a state of emergency, saying a group of military officers, civilians and communist rebels planned to oust her.

Hours after her declaration of the state of emergency, police broke a massive anti-Arroyo protests in Manila and raided two newspapers critical of her government.

The United States has made it clear that it will not support any coup following a tense, six-hour standoff by disgruntled marine soldiers inside Fort Bonifacio.

"We hope and expect that the Filipino people will seek peaceful solutions to the currently situation through constitutional procedures. The United States strongly believes in the principle and practice of civilian control of a professional and non-political military," the US embassy said.

Hundreds of soldiers rushed to the Marine headquarters late Monday after learning that their commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda was sacked from his post, the second highest military official relieved since last week after the government said it crushed a coup by rebel soldiers allegedly tied with communist insurgents.

The Armed Forces also sacked Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim after he tried to recruit other military generals to withdraw their support to Arroyo.

"The United States reiterates its call that the Government of the Philippines, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Filipino people respect fully the rule of law, protect civil liberties and human rights, and reject violence," the embassy statement said.

Brig. Gen. Nelson Allaga replaced Miranda, an ally of Lim, was reportedly planning to withdraw his support to Arroyo, along with Col. Ariel Querubin, commander of the Marine 2nd Brigade in Mindanao. Querubin was also sacked Wednesday.