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Wednesday, July 12, 2006
General denies role in Arroyo ouster move
MANILA -- Brigadier General Danilo Lim on Tuesday denied he was part of a plot to unseat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, saying he was just stating his withdrawal of support to her in the video footage.
Speaking to the media after a meeting with Attorney Reynaldo Esmeralda, head of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) special action unit, Lim echoed the statements of former ambassador Roy Señeres that the video clip was not supposed to precipitate the onset of a coup d'etat last February 24, as alleged by the government.
Lim, who arrived at the NBI at 2 p.m. accompanied by Colonel Januario Caringal and security escorts, also said he has no intention of turning state witness.
"Only a person who committed an offense, and been charged with it, could turn state witness. I committed no crime, and is not charged of any, so I can't be," Lim said through lawyer Vicente Verdadero.
The relieved chief of the Army Scout Ranger said he wanted the Department of Justice (DOJ) and not the military to look into the leak of the video so he asked Verdadero to talk to the NBI and "explore the possibility of General Lim making such personal request with the DOJ secretary because he (Lim) had some information on the source of the leak."
"This is the reason why we suggested to Attorney Esmeralda the one-on-one meeting between Lim and the secretary," he said.
During their one-hour closed-door meeting at the DOJ, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. and Lim agreed not disclose to the media their discussion but Gonzalez, when interviewed by reporters, said he was satisfied with their dialogue.
Gonzalez said Lim felt that the tape aired over a television network is an indication that if there had been any plan at all to topple the government, the airing of the tape aborted it.
"I think he said that - the fact the tape was aired is indicative of the fact that if there was any plan at all (of a coup plot) the airing of the tape or the taping aborted it. Ang napagusapan namin (What we talked about) is that he will cooperate. As far as he is concerned he will cooperate for the sake of the truth here, but I feel that he will cooperate. I think he is sincere in saying that," Gonzalez said.
He said no deal was reached between him and Lim nor was there any offer of any sort.
"There was no deal. I did not offer any and he wasn't offering one although he said that he might be able to help. We did not talk about him becoming a state witness. If I ask to him to become a state witness outright that might be an insult to him," he said.
Gonzalez said any concessions that might be offered by government will depend on what information they can get also from Lim.
"We were just starting to talk but I'm satisfied with the fact that he is the one who came," Gonzalez added.
Pressed whether he was able to find out if Lim disclosed names of civilians who allegedly financed the foiled coup attempt, Gonzalez said: "No comment. I had agreed that everything we talked about remains confidential."
Gonzalez said out of his dialogue with Lim, he was able to cull information and this could be used as starting point of the investigation.
He said Lim asked him to intercede for him with Army Chief Hermogenes Esperon so he would be given at least 24 hours to visit his family before he is put in custody at the Army training school in Tanay, Rizal.
"We agreed to talk again after he is brought to Tanay upon the orders of General Esperon. He was requesting me to do something to let him stay at least for tonight so he would be able to see his family before he goes to Tanay but I could not get in touch either with Esperon or (Armed Forces Chief) General (Generoso) Senga," he said. (ECV/Sunnex)
(July 12, 2006 issue)
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