Former YOU chairman: Manifesto an insult to intelligence of young officers

The founding member of the Young Officers Union (YOU) denounced yesterday as "malicious" the manifesto supposedly issued by his group last Thursday calling for the ouster of Pre-sident Arroyo.

Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, the commanding general of the First Scout Ranger Regiment based in Bulacan, said the three-page manifesto supposedly issued by the group was an insult to the intelligence of young military officers in the service.

Lim denied the group had reactivated and was scrapping the 1995 peace agreement to issue a new call to arms and a change in the government.

Lim told a news conference at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City that he would have been informed if the group had been reactivated.

"The group, as was reported to all of you, effectively ceased to exist after the signing of a comprehensive peace accord between the government and the military rebels in late 1995," Lim said.

"We decided to deactivate the organization in order to do justice to the peace agreement because we could not do so if YOU was to remain a shadowy organization," he declared.

On the possibility that other members could have taken the initiative and issued the manifesto, Lim admitted this was possible but stressed that, so far, there were no indications that this had occurred.

"Wala akong naririnig o namo-monitor at walang feedback na nakakarating sa akin na merong activities like this (So far I heard nothing and there is no feedback that there are activities like this). But we will lose nothing by looking at every possibility, every angle. It behooves all of us to do so," he said.

Lim, however, ruled out the participation of former senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan in the reported destabilization attempts against the government.

Honasan, a former Army colonel, led the series of bloody coup attempts against former President Corazon Aquino in 1989 along with the YOU.

"I understand that former senator Honasan is now very active in the legal opposition. So wala akong alam na (I do not know if) he has been engaged in activities connected to destabilization," he said.

"In fact, I’ve heard on several occasions siya pa mismo ang nagpapakalma sa mga units na may mga dating tao siya (I heard that he is taking the initiative to placate the restless military units that are being led by his former subordinates). He is busy with the activities of the legal opposition," Lim said.

Lim said other legitimate members of the organization are also denouncing the manifesto as spurious.

They noted the wording of the manifesto bore the trademarks of partisan and selfish political agenda, contrary to the sworn duties of every soldier.

Reading a prepared speech, Lim echoed the AFP stand in the worsening political crisis. He said that even in the face of extreme political bickering, the military will remain on the sidelines and allow the rule of law to prevail.

"The legitimate members of the now-defunct YOU categorically denounce as malicious, contrary to facts and an insult to the intelligence and professional conduct of the young officers of the Armed Forces the recent ‘YOU Manifesto’ being circulated," Lim said in reading the prepared statement.

Lim called on the public to ignore the manifesto. He reiterated the document was written by some groups or people to sow discord among the members of the armed services.

He said many of the YOU members are doing well in the mainstream military service carrying out their respective assignments.

Lim pointed out that some of the original YOU members include Col. Juancho Saban, the Marine Brigade commander based in Sulu; Col. Ariel Querubin, the commanding general of the Marine Training Command; and Police Col. Diosdado Valeroso, who is presently a police provincial director in one of the provinces in Southern Luzon.

He said that these officers were among the YOU founding members who were key players in the bloody coup attempts against Mrs. Aquino in 1989.

He said one of the officers, Querubin, was even awarded the Medal of Valor after returning to active service.

In the manifesto issued Thursday, YOU declared it was breaking its 1995 peace accord with the government "to bring down the Arroyo government and save the country from further ruin."

"Let no one doubt this article of faith and covenant with our people and country. For we will fight fire with fire those who will stand in our way and undermine our determination to create a just, wise, efficient and stable society through the land," the manifesto read.

Malacañang and the AFP top brass dismissed the manifesto as "another propaganda tool employed by those desperately trying to exploit the military to push for a power grab."