Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Arroyo foes gave funds to coup plotters: military
MANILA -- Army Chief Hermogenes Esperon on Monday said a number of people from the political opposition supposedly financed the failed plot to overthrow the Arroyo administration last February.
Quoting a statement of a mutineer who recently sided with the government, Esperon, who is the incoming Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, said the list also includes businessmen and people from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). He refused to identify them.
"Mostly of course from the opposition and surprisingly from the business sector and the Left," said Esperon when asked to describe the alleged financiers of the military adventurism that was supposed to be led by erstwhile First Scout Ranger Regiment commander Danilo Lim.
Lim was supposed to lead his men in a march to the Edsa Shrine and there announce their withdrawal of support to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The plan did not materialize when the military incarcerated Lim hours before he could proceed to Edsa.
Esperon said the Army has referred the list to the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which he said are conducting further investigation on the financiers of the plot.
"We do not want to appear like we are going after civilians. We have some names. That's all we can do, provide the DOJ and CIDG their names and the matter of conducting further investigation, that's the role of the CIDG and the Department of Justice," he said.
"We can say that they had money but it looks like they wanted to use their money to grab power for themselves. There are also people who would want to paint themselves as good people," Esperon also said.
Esperon said it was unfortunate that the motive of the people concerned "is really power grab and of course to take probably a share or part of the loots of victory."
Esperon said some of the financiers also funded the short-lived Oakwood mutiny in July 2003, which was mounted by more than 300 officers and men who were disgusted by the rampant graft and corruption in government.
"Many trace their participation (to the Oakwood mutiny) and the February 24 (coup plot). So they are not learning, they are insisting. It looks like they deluded themselves into believing that they could, they will succeed," said Esperon.
When asked if 1st Lieutenant Lawrence San Juan, one of the leaders of the failed Oakwood mutiny, was the one who named the financiers, Esperon confirmed that, "one of the sources is San Juan." The Army chief, however, refused to say who the other witnesses were.
San Juan faced the media last Friday to confirm that he is cooperating with government. San Juan expressed regret that he joined the cause against government, which forced him to have dealings with communist leaders.
San Juan was recaptured by government forces last February, a month after escaping from a detention facility inside Army headquarters. His three fellow escapees, Captain Nathaniel Rabonza and Lieutenants Sonny Sarmiento and Patricio Bumidang, were arrested last July 7 in Quezon City.
The Arroyo government overcame at least two major power grab plots, including the short-lived Oakwood mutiny mounted by more than 300 junior officers and men who said they were disgusted over graft and corruption in government.
The government quelled a plan by Army and Marine officers, supposedly to be led by Brigadier General Lim, to join the February 24 anti-government demonstrations at the Edsa Shrine and subsequently withdraw their support from the President.
Two days later, bemedalled Marine colonel Ariel Querubin led a standoff at the Marine headquarters to protest the relief of Marine commandant Renato Miranda. Officials said the incident was related to the February 24 failed power grab.
Lim, Querubin and dozens of other officers involved in the plot face trial before a court martial.
PNP Chief Oscar Calderon on Monday said the CIDG will summon this week five people who supposedly financed the failed plot to overthrow the Arroyo government last February.
In a joint press conference with Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno in Camp Crame, Calderon said the five, who he refused to identify, would be sent summons because their names are being consistently mentioned as involved in the plan.
"There will be five persons invited within the week. We do not want to reveal (the names) of the reported financiers without evidence. The invitation of the CIDG and the NBI is for them to explain why their names were mentioned," he added.
Calderon said the CIDG and the NBI are firming up evidence against the alleged financiers. "I think the CIDG and NBI are still coming up with the names and by today (Monday), they have signed their invitations for the specific names," he said.
He hoped the people concerned would appear before investigators once invited. "We would prefer for them to come out officially if they are really not guilty or if indeed they do not have knowledge on that (plot)," he said.
When asked if there is a politician from among the five people due to be summoned this week, Calderon said: "It's a mixture."
Puno hinted that among those who financed the failed power grab were from the political opposition. Puno appealed to the opposition to stop resorting to unconstitutional means to unseat Arroyo.
"There is a very serious investigation that is going on. In many respects, people who are also my friends might get involved in this investigation. But the chips will fall where they will fall," said Puno, a former congressman.
"Even if they are close to us, if they committed a sin, they have to be made accountable. I'm confident that we will get to the bottom of all of these things in a very short period of time," he added.
Puno appealed to the people involved in the plot to stop their illegal activities.
"Let us get away from extra-constitutional methods or illegal methods," said Puno, adding that the financiers of such activities are likewise guilty. "They will secretly fund people who risk their lives, doing the bidding of these agitators. I think they are more guilty," he said.
Puno said the government is serious in prosecuting the coup financiers. When asked to name them, Puno said: "I think you will see over the next couple of days. The details will be made available," he said.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. said about 20 "prominent" businessmen perceived to be anti-Arroyo are under surveillance by the police and military for allegedly financing the different attempts to destabilize the government
But at a press briefing, Gonzalez was quick to deny that government is engaging in "witch-hunting" when he refused to identify the businessmen who were being monitored for providing direct aid to alleged coup plotters.
"We can't read their minds, that's why we're keeping tab of their activities as best as we could to know what they are doing. Naturally, we have to monitor all of them. But we assure them there is no witch-hunting. We never want to manufacture evidence," he said.
Gonzalez said the financiers were providing safe houses for plotters, paying for anti-Arroyo protest rallies, and giving monetary assistance for other things.
Among those who were said to be under the close watch of the intelligence community were those mentioned by former ambassador Roy Seņeres in his testimony before the NBI, namely Iņigo Zobel, Antonio "Tonyboy" Cojuangco, and Felipe Cruz Jr.
Invitations have been sent to Zobel to appear before the NBI on Tuesday at 10 a.m. to shed light on his alleged participation in the foiled February 24 coup attempt. Cruz is expected to appear on July 19 while Cojuangco was invited to appear on July 28.
Colonel Querubin was also summoned by the NBI on Tuesdsy for questioning.
"The details of the money trail is with the CIDG as well as records of the movement of funds," Gonzalez said.
While ABS-CBN top honcho Gabby Lopez is not in the list, Gonzalez admitted that some of the officials of the network are being monitored because they are sympathizers of either former President Joseph Estrada or the late actor Fernando Poe Jr., who ran against President Arroyo in the 2004 elections.
"Maybe some of them are connected (to the coup plots), but the management is not," he said, pointing to news anchor Ces Oreņa-Drilon, who first reported on Lim's videotape. In the tape, Lim was seen announcing his withdrawal support from Arroyo.
He noted that ABS-CBN has a lot of stories about key personalities involved in coup attempts but quickly added they will not invite Drilon for questioning because they could even tap her to provide them with leads.
"This is a spillover of the last election. This is about businessmen taking sides in the 2004 elections," he added, noting that they have betted on the "wrong horse."
Gonzalez said the report on the involvement of Cruz is "scanty" and is limited only to reports that he had invited General Lim to his house. Cruz had denied this.
"His name is still in our radar screen," he said of Cruz, but answered "no comment" when asked whether he was on the list of 20 businessmen.
The same is true with Cojuangco. "Nobody is really out of the list," he said when asked whether investigators have already cleared Cojuangco of alleged involvement in attempts to overthrow the Arroyo administration.
Meanwhile, Esperon warned coup military officers and men that they would have no chance of launching efforts to destabilize the Arroyo government once he assumes as Armed Forces chief.
"I will batter them," said Esperon, who is succeeding outgoing Armed Forces Chief Generoso Senga on Friday when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56. The turnover rites will be presided over by President Arroyo.
"Lets cross our fingers but I hope they realize that they not have a chance with me, they will not have a chance," said Esperon, one of the four generals who was alleged to have helped rigged the 2004 elections to ensure Arroyo's victory.
Esperson said the campaign against destabilizers would be among his thrusts when he assumes the top military post. But he stressed he would also give priority to those who are battling threat groups in the front-line.
"That's the internal part of it, being able to give support and sustain our troops in the front line, looking after the welfare of the soldiers but at the same time being strict on those who do not follow the chain of command and destabilizers," said Esperon.
When asked if rebel soldiers still have supporters in the military, Esperon said: "We have been going after them. We know who they are. We have been investigating the February 23, 24 incidents. We questioned about 59 officers." (VR/ECVSunnex)
(July 18, 2006 issue)
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