AFP, PNP downplay new coup threats

Downplaying threats of yet another coup attempt, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) assured the public yesterday that Metro Manila is secure from any threats and that conditions in the area remain normal.

AFP National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) chief Lt. Gen. Alan Cabalquinto said that in contrast to rumors of a possible power grab, nothing significant has changed in terms of security in the entire metropolis.

"Everything is normal, except for what people think — that it’s not normal. I am doing my rounds now and it’s normal," he said, urging the public not to "add to this perception of instability," he said.

Cabalquinto, however, admitted that all the troops under his command have been deployed to strategic areas of Metro Manila.

The NCRCom, created to safeguard the seat of the national government from any attempts to topple it, placed the entire metropolis under red alert the other day. The unit has about 3,000 troops from the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines.

Marines had set up checkpoints along all major roads leading to Metro Manila while the rest of the soldiers, along with 6,000 policemen, were assigned to anti-riot duty.

Cabalquinto said this deployment is in line with the military’s alert status as the AFP prepares for today’s Independence Day celebration amid fears of widespread anti-government demonstrations.

PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao, on the other hand, appealed for sobriety and urged the public to respect the rule of law.

Lomibao instructed policemen on anti-riot duty to exercise "maximum tolerance" in dealing with rallyists, but also asked protesters to do the same.

"Let us respect each other’s rights. Let us act in accordance with the rule of law," he said.

Lomibao said the ongoing crisis at the San Carlos seminary in Guadalupe in Makati City, where hundreds of police and military personnel have been deployed, is an isolated case. Lawyer Samuel Ong, former National Bureau of Investigation deputy director for intelligence, has reportedly holed himself up in the seminary after claiming in a press conference Thursday that he possessed an original audiotape recording of President Arroyo allegedly talking to an election official about fixing the 2004 presidential election.

AFP spokesman Col. Buenaventura Pascual said that as "a security precaution," truckloads of soldiers from the Special Operations Command in Northern Luzon started to arrive in Manila early yesterday Morning. Most of the troops will be placed on standby.

The alert follows a week of political tension amid renewed allegations that Mrs. Arroyo cheated in last year’s presidential election. The allegations have yet to be proven and she has dismissed calls for her to resign.

At a press conference in Manila yesterday, Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano called on the Filipino people to exert "all efforts" to remove Mrs. Arroyo, saying she had "no moral and legitimate basis to remain in power."

"The controversial tape, surfaced by intelligence people themselves, is the strongest evidence that (she) did cheat in the last elections," he said. "It is high time for (Mrs.) Arroyo to step down if she has any remaining shame."

Mariano added that the Arroyo administration’s "immorality, coupled with its anti-people economic policies, are pushing the people to once again flood the streets."

With the 107th anniversary of the country’s independence from Spain falling on Sunday, the government has declared Monday a "non-working" day. The move has been seen by many as an attempt to quell any mass street protests.

The last time the government did this was on Labor Day, which fell on Sunday, May 1, when the administration was facing the threat of major civil unrest by labor and opposition groups unhappy with Mrs. Arroyo’s brand of governance.

"We are prepared to face all the challenges being raised against the national leadership, and to uphold the truth and law without hesitation," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said yesterday.

"We will not stoop down to the level of employing dirty tricks as employed by the opposition in asserting the legitimacy of this administration," he added.

Bunye appealed to Filipinos to remain calm and evaluate the controversies with prudence and sobriety.

"We will not allow democracy to be undermined as well as the gains we have already made in the economy," he said.

Bunye noted that "these wayward elements may hate the President, but we ask them: do they have an alternative leader or program of government to offer the people of this country?"

The United States on Friday expressed its "unequivocal" support for Mrs. Arroyo’s government, saying there appeared to be no serious danger of a coup.

The US government, however, said it would oppose "any extra-constitutional or extra-legal efforts to in any way undermine" the Arroyo administration, US Embassy chargé d’affaires Joseph Mussomeli said.

The Philippines has a long history of coups and street protests since dictator Ferdinand Marcos was pushed from power over 20 years ago, and former president Joseph Estrada was ousted in January 2001.

A group of junior officers and soldiers briefly took over part of Makati City’s central business district in July 2003 to demand that Mrs. Arroyo step down. They surrendered without incident after 22 hours. — With AFP