This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 3, February 19-25, 2006
70% of AFP Poised to Strike vs. GMA The Armed Forces of the
Philippines has been issuing contradictory statements regarding the veracity and
seriousness of the alleged coup plot dubbed as “Operation Hackle.” But even as
the AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP) are quick to claim that they are
solidly behind President Macapagal-Arroyo, a retired military officer said, in
an exclusive interview with Bulatlat that 70 percent of AFP troops are
against the president and are ready to move anytime now. BY DABET CASTAÑEDA A retired military officer, who requested
anonymity, said that junior and senior officers of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) are restive and ready to move to boot out Pres Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo. “Based on my conservative estimate, 70
percent of AFP troops are against GMA (referring to Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo),”
the military source said. The source said there are many factions
within the military that are planning to topple the Arroyo administration. But
all these factions are now aligned and ready to move simultaneously. The retired
military officer also said that these factions are being led by officers from
Philippine Military Academy (PMA) batches starting from the late ‘70s to the
present and that most of them have been involved in several coup attempts
before. Earlier reports name the Magdalo, YOU (Young
Officers Union), YOUng, (Young Officers Union-New Generation), Patriotic
Filipino Soldiers, RAM (Reform the Armed Forces Movement), Soldiers of the
Filipino People (SFP), Enlightened Warriors, among others, as factions within
the military that are plotting against the government. By the source’ estimate, the YOUng could be
the most influential among the groups because its members are the “most
idealistic and are not politically involved.” EDSA 1 scenario It may probably be an EDSA 1 (Epifanio de
los Santos Avenue) scenario, the source said referring to the February 1986
people power revolt that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. The first people power uprising in 1986 at
historic EDSA was triggered after then AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Fidel Ramos,
former Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile and Col. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan
barricaded themselves at Camps Aguinaldo and Crame, from February 22-25, to
prevent their arrest after the Marcos dictatorship discovered their alleged
military coup d’ etat plot. Thereafter, millions of Filipinos gathered at EDSA
in response to the call of the late Cardinal Sin. They stayed there for four
days until the Marcos family was whisked away to Hawaii. This event came to be
known as EDSA 1 or People Power 1. “Binabasa nila ang sentimento ng tao,”
(They are trying to read the people’s sentiments.) the source said. “They don’t
want to take over for themselves. They’re making sure it will have backing of
the people,” the source said adding that the coup plotters are now confident of
the people’s support as they see more and more Filipinos protesting against the
Arroyo administration. The source said the military is restive
because the economic and political situation in the country is getting worse. “Kailangan
na nilang makialam kundi ay tuluy-tuloy na tayong babagsak. Kung hindi magbabago
sigurado sasabog ang sitwasyon,” (They feel the need to intervene otherwise
the situation will continue to worsen. They think that if change does not
happen now, the situation will explode.) the source said. “The military is just waiting for the right
time,” said the source. In a separate interview, Former Vice
President Teofisto Guingona said the military’s withdrawal of support is vital
and constitutional. “The Supreme Court says it is legitimate especially when the
armed forces has lost confidence in their Commander-in-Chief,” he said.
Guingona, who has been actively campaigning
for the ouster of President Arroyo, shares the view that the military should
take an active part in the incumbent’s removal from office because “they (the
military) are part of the people.” Worse than Marcos The source also said that most military
officers believe that the fraud done by the Arroyo administration during the May
2004 elections was worse than that of the 1986 snap elections that pitted the
late Ferdinand E. Marcos against Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, widow of Marcos’
political rival, the late Sen. Benigno Aquino. Massive election fraud caused a walk-out at
the National Computer Center, where the votes were being tallied, in 1986. This
was the start of a series of events that led to EDSA 1. “The officers, especially the young ones,
felt used and abused during the 2004 elections,” the source said. “Most of the
young officers calling for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s ouster were themselves
election fraud operators for the president,” the source added. “What made the 2004 elections worse than the
1986 snap elections is the fact that Macapagal-Arroyo paid large sums of money
to provincial governors and city mayors who were known supporters of the late
Fernando Poe Jr., the president’s closest political rival,” said the source.
“Marcos did not do that,” the source said.
The source also said that during the 2004
elections fraud was done in all levels of the election process. “Si Marcos
nagpalusot lang siya dun sa election returns sa provincial level.
Pero si GMA, SOVs (Statement of Votes) pa lang binanatan na nya,”
(Marcos tried to doctor the election returns at the provincial level. But with
GMA, even the Statements of Votes or SOVs at the precint level were already
being fixed.) the source added. Information from the young officers also
confirmed that vote rigging was at its worst in the Autonomous Region of Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) and the provinces of Cebu and Iloilo, areas where Arroyo gained
her lead from Poe. “According to young officers, they have
evidences that most of the elections returns in those areas were manufactured,”
the source said. Macapagal-Arroyo was forced to engage in
such dirty tricks due to the fact that her camp’s internal surveys showed Poe
was leading the presidential race. “Alam nya talo sya kaya pinaghandaan
talaga nya kung paano nya dadayain,” (She knows that she will lose so they
really prepared how to cheat.) the source said. Transition Council The source said that the coup plotters are
agreeable to the formation of a civilian Transition Council. “If people don’t immediately mass up in
droves, the military might take over for a few days until the civilian
leadership forms the Council, the source said. The military leadership will then turn over
the seat of power to the Transition Council, the source added. “They don’t want a military dictatorship.
They also don’t want to give the power to one person because the country might
go back to a Martial Law scenario where only one person is in power and nobody
could check him or her,” the source said. The source added that if a military officer
is asked to be part of the Council, s/he will retire from active service. “Pero
isa lang sa kanila at ito ay maghuhubad ng uniporme,” (There should only be
one from the military and s/he must retire from active service.) the source
said. Earlier last year, organizations
spearheading the ouster of Macapagal-Arroyo formed the Solidarity Movement that
seeks to form a Transition Council immediately after the president is removed
from office. Representatives of the different
organizations included former Defense Secretary Renato de Villa of Reporma
Party, Rep. Satur Ocampo representing Bayan Muna, Dr. Carol Pagaduan-Araullo for
the multi-sectoral group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Horacio “Boy”
Morales of Partido ng Masang Pilipino, Atty. Louie Sison of Bangon Pilipinas and
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay of the United Opposition (UNO). The Solidarity Movement said that the most
immediate mandate of the Transition Council is to “clean-up and reform the
electoral system and to conduct massive voter education to lay the ground for
the special elections that will elect the new, regular government.” It its briefing paper distributed to media,
the Solidarity Movement said that the Council will also prioritize the
prosecution of Macapagal-Arroyo and other public officials who are party to the
massive fraud during the 2004 elections. It will undertake measures to provide
immediate economic relief and rehabilitation while laying the groundwork for a
strong, self-reliant economy. It will also institute measures to promote the
people’s democratic rights and responsibility. Confident While admitting that young military officers
have erred by staging the failed Oakwood mutiny in July 2004, the Bulatlat
source said military officers and soldiers who want to topple the Arroyo
government is confident they are on the right track. Unlike the Oakwood mutiny, the source said
they are now confident of the people’s support. “I have no doubt they will win this for and
with the people,” the source said. Bulatlat © 2006 Bulatlat
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