AFP: No coup will happen when GMA goes abroad

Malacañang and the Armed Forces lambasted the opposition yesterday for insisting that President Arroyo is not sure if the military will not launch a coup and oust her when she goes abroad, similar to the fate of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

"We find it disgusting that irresponsible quarters continue their attempts to drag the military into the political arena. This manifests an utter lack of respect for the people and their love for democracy, as well as concern for the plight of the poor who are the ultimate victims of this type of degenerated politics," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a statement.

Bunye said our soldiers have called upon our political leaders to leave the Armed Forces alone.

Everyone can do much more for the people by supporting our economic reforms rather than look for futile opportunities for destabilization, he said.

The United Opposition said Mrs. Arroyo should think twice before leaving the country in the coming months because the ouster of Thaksin could be replicated in the country as the question of legitimacy still hounds the President.

The opposition said like Thaksin, Mrs. Arroyo is accused of graft and corruption.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon said there is no reason to doubt the loyalty of the military to the Constitution and the chain of command at this time despite incessant intrigues being sowed by various sectors.

Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo would continue with her scheduled trips to China in October and Vietnam in November because there is really no threat of a coup.

Ermita said there is no basis for the opposition to instill fear among the people by warning of a coup if Mrs. Arroyo would leave the country.

"The President is supported by the armed services and by the Philippine National Police so there's nothing to worry about. The situation in the Philippines is very, very politically stable," Ermita said.

Ermita and Esperon said that intrigues being sowed within the military could easily be ironed out because the military is "standing on solid grounds."

"They can see that we are really solid in the AFP. So those with biases and vested interest would really try every now and then to divide us, but they can try again," Esperon said.

Esperon denied the reports that Navy chief Vice Adm. Mateo Mayuga would be replaced by Vice Adm. Tirso Danga and said the intrigue was the handiwork of rumor mongers.

"They are just making up all these things," Esperon said.

Esperon and Mayuga were two of the military generals who were implicated in alleged efforts to cheat in the 2004 elections in favor of Mrs. Arroyo.

The opposition warned Mrs. Arroyo that even though she appointed officials who are loyal to her to top military posts, idealistic young officers may launch another uprising over unresolved controversies involving Mrs. Arroyo.

Esperon explained that the Philippines is far from becoming a Thailand (coup) because "we are simply, following our constitutional duties."

"We believe that by sticking to our constitutional duties, we are in a better position to support the political maturity and economic development of this country," Esperon said.

He said the military will not conduct a loyalty check but they are promoting professionalism and efficiency.

"Loyalty check can come in the form of whether you are doing your job or not, if you are not doing your job then that probably borders on disloyalty, probably inefficiency," Esperon said. - Philippine Star News Service