Allies of deposed President Joseph Estrada are reportedly hatching a plot to retake the government by force, according to a multisectoral group that participated in last week’s street protests which caused him to step down from power.
The Akbayan party, at a press conference, revealed that Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Gregorio Honasan and former Phi-lippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Panfilo Lacson are meeting to launch a coup against newly installed Pre-sident Arroyo.
At least five Army companies said to be loyal to Enrile and Honasan were monitored to be heading for Metro Manila yesterday afternoon from Cagayan Valley.
The group, estimated to be some 500 strong, came mainly from the Army’s 5th Infantry Division based in Gamu, Isabela, while the rest came from Enrile’s home province of Cagayan.
But the Army column did not enter Nueva Ecija late yesterday as their movements were detected by forces loyal to the new administration.
Other sources said former executive secretary Edgardo Angara and former interior secretary Ronaldo Puno were with the group in planning how to retake the go-vernment.
Honasan quickly dismissed the rumors of a coup d’etat, saying these were just part of a continued disinformation campaign against Estrada.
"Gawa-gawa lang ito ng mga taong mali-likot ang isip (These were just fabricated by people with wild imaginations)," Honasan said in a radio interview. "There are no moves to overthrow the new government. The people should not believe such rumors."
Honasan admitted meeting with Lacson, his classmate at the Philippine Military Academy, but claimed they only discussed how to rally the military and the police to support the new government.
"We never discussed any coup plot. These are just plain misinformation," said Honasan, who was Lacson’s classmate in the Philippine Military Academy’s Class ’71.
Akbayan Rep. Loreta Ann Rosales told reporters that Estrada has been consolidating his political and military backers at his residence in Greenhills, San Juan. Two religious leaders were also said to be present at these meetings on Polk street.
She urged authorities to hasten the prosecution of the former chief executive on plunder charges to prevent him from attempting to destabilize the new administration.
Rosales revealed that Estrada’s allies at the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella, have been meeting with the deposed leader since Sunday night to plan their next move.
"What we fear is a scenario similar to what happened in the first few months of the Aquino administration, when Marcos loyalists launched the aborted Manila Hotel coup (in July 1986)," she said.
The party-list lawmaker accused businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, a known political backer of Estrada, of funding a destabilization plot against the new administration.
Ronald Llamas, Akbayan’s outgoing president, said they have received information from a highly placed source within the military that Enrile, Honasan and Lacson have met with Estrada at his residence.
He noted that Cagayan Rep. Rodolfo Aguinaldo, a retired colonel and a supporter of Estrada, is also part of the group that plans to overthrow the Arroyo administration.
"Some military officials are enticing our members to join the planned coup," said Lucas, a member of the executive committee of the Rebolusyunaryong Alyansang Makabansa which launched a series of revolts in the late 1980s against then President Corazon Aquino.
But another military official who requested anonymity said Lucas’ claims may just be a ploy to prevent any possible plan to unseat Mrs. Arroyo.
"Maybe his revelation was just to preempt any possible plan of a military action against the government and to indicate that the military will no longer follow the orders of Enrile and Honasan," the official said.
Enrile and Honasan were among the heroes of the 1986 popular revolt that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos. But they were also at the helm of at least seven rightist uprisings against Marcos’ successor.
Honasan told The STAR early yesterday that a coup against the new administration may be possible since the chain of command was broken when Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes supported Mrs. Arroyo.
According to Honasan, he was informed by some of his friends in the military that Reyes never held a consultation before he withdrew his support for Estrada.
"I was informed that there were no consultations, so General Reyes did not represent the military’s rank-and-file," he said.
The senator added that Reyes’ throwing of support to Mrs. Arroyo made matters worse. "Their withdrawal of support would have been enough but they went further – they threw their support to Mrs. Arroyo. They became partisan."
Reyes attended a mammoth anti-Estrada rally at the EDSA Shrine Friday along with key leaders of the Armed Forces to show that they were withdrawing their support for Estrada.
His turnaround was considered the key that opened the doors of the presidency to Mrs. Arroyo.
But Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado said the coup reports were all untrue.
"The PMA Class ’71 is highly divided and we have yet to receive intelligence reports indicating that some military elements are out to create something," he said.
The Armed Forces’ civil relations chief Brig. Gen. Jaime Canatoy, himself a PMA Class ’71 member, also refused to believe the reports.
"There has been no meeting between our class and former President Estrada. I doubt very much if there would be a coup," he said. – With reports from Efren Danao, Jose Rodel Clapano, Jaime Laude