Golez confirms destabilization plot

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez admitted yesterday that the government is monitoring the movements and activities of groups supposedly out to topple the Arroyo administration.

Speaking after a military briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, Golez said one of the groups calls itself the "Urban Poor Liberation Front," which is supposedly the "paramilitary wing" of the People’s Movement Against Poverty (PMAP), headed by Ronald Lumbao, a known loyalist of jailed former President Joseph Estrada.

"It’s possible that there are some groups making moves so we are not taking any chances. An example is the Urban Poor Liberation Front," Golez said.

He said the military intelligence community has been monitoring over the past two months the activities of an Army colonel, whom he refused to identify, who has supposedly been "training" the paramilitary group in Norzagaray, Bulacan.

However, Golez clarified that the group, which numbered no more than 50 men, had to stop training after failing to recruit enough members.

"If he continues in his disoriented ways, he will face sanctions," Golez said, without explaining why Lumbao or the colonel had not been charged.

The authorities have already spoken to the colonel, who is supposedly being assisted by a junior police officer who supervises the group’s training and is also involved in a disinformation campaign against the government, Golez added.

Golez said the authorities are set to summon the junior police officer but refused to identify him.

He also dismissed the paramilitary group as "just a fledgling group" with practically no substantive military capability.

"These are just small groups that could not even muster a hundred members," he said.

Initially denying the coup rumors, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Leandro Mendoza later confirmed that they have identified the junior police officer and are set to summon him.

"We will summon and confront him," Mendoza said, only hours after Golez confirmed the coup rumors and after the PNP chief issued a statement dismissing such rumors as "disinformation."

Mendoza issued his statement yesterday morning, apparently unaware that Golez would be confirming the rumors after his military briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

"The latest coup rumors are part of an obvious disinformation effort designed to sow confusion, intrigue, and disunity within the police and military institutions," Mendoza said in his statement. Mendoza blamed the "media, telecommunications and wild gossip" for the proliferation of the rumors.

"I would like to forewarn the public from falling prey to these rumors currently being stirred through media, telecommunication and wild gossips (sic)," the statement read.

Despite the admissions of Golez and Mendoza, however, other top government officials dismissed the coup rumors anew and appealed to the opposition to stop spreading gossip.

Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said there was "no basis" for the rumors but the military was "always ready for any eventuality."

"Our country needs these coup rumors like we need a hole in the head," said Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao.

"For the country’s sake, we appeal to the opposition to stop concocting and spreading rumors of coup plots. They’ll just be outdoing Osama bin Laden in hurting the economy," he added.

Tiglao likened the coup rumors to the opposition’s "Guns of August" campaign in July where they launched a public relations campaign against the Arroyo administration.

Tiglao also denied the opposition’s charge that the coup plot was actually hatched by the administration to divert the attention of the public to the controversy involving First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

"This administration has struggled to restore political stability these past ten months despite attempts by the violence-prone sector of the opposition to throw our country into chaos. Why should we be undertaking, as the opposition spokesman claims, destabilization attempts?" Tiglao asked.

He also belied claims that President Arroyo cut short her trip to China because of rumors of a coup and that she conferred with Reyes at the airport on the reported coup attempt.

Tiglao said the President arrived ahead of schedule because there was no need for her to rest overnight in Shanghai and that her "conference" with Reyes at the airport lasted no more than two minutes.

The opposition, meanwhile, unleashed another salvo yesterday and accused the government and members of the so-called "civil society" in conspiring to stimulate a "crisis environment" to force the Supreme Court to affirm the constitutionality of the plunder law.

"This is the height of terrorism by the government against the opposition and the Filipino people," said opposition spokesman Crispin Remulla.

"I urge these people to stop this military adventurism to destabilize the government. Let’s be united in keeping this democracy intact," Remulla said.

"We have already had enough since Estrada was ousted from power through a military takeover. We have a damaged Supreme Court, a damaged Senate (and) House," he added. - With Jose Rodel Clapano, Pia Lee-Brago