Gonzales: Opposition agitating military

After failing to stage a people power revolt to oust President Arroyo, some members of the opposition are reportedly urging some military officers to launch what could be a violent attempt to take over the government, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said yesterday.

Gonzales said he expects reports of disgruntlement within the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to come out in the media in the near future, including manifestos or statements by "shadowy groups" expressing disappointment with the government and the military leadership.

"Originally they wanted a people power to overthrow the government but they made several attempts using all sorts of national holidays and occasions and even (Mrs. Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address) but the people simply did not want to (participate)," Gonzales said.

"Their prospects for a people power are very remote, so now they are turning to agitating the Armed Forces. This is the negative effect of having failed to muster warm bodies for their attempts so we expect reports of disgruntlement," he added.

Gonzales said statements from these unidentified groups would likely be "fed" to the media in a dramatic fashion to generate alarm and create an impression that disgruntled military officers were set to take over the government.

Top AFP officials have questioned several senior and junior military officers — most of them from elite units — for their alleged involvement in efforts to destabilize the government. Some have been removed from their posts and placed under watch, while others who were able to give satisfactory explanations were subsequently released.

Army Special Operations Command chief Maj. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon acknowledged that some groups could be trying to pressure elite units into overthrowing the government but expressed confidence that they would not succeed.

AFP chief Gen. Efren Abu has maintained that the military will remain neutral and loyal to the Constitution and duly constituted authorities. He said the military’s professionalism and loyalty to the Constitution is most needed in times of political crisis.

Meanwhile, the Young Officers Union (YOU), a group reportedly demanding the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo, warned AFP officials and government leaders not to underestimate their capability to mobilize.

The group faxed a one-page manifesto, signed by Lt. Col. Arsenio Alcantara, to the newsdesk of the GMA-7 television network.

The YOU said after their group broke their silence regarding the prevailing political crisis, "our military leaders crafted a well-written denial... These denials will... drag them down to oblivion once we strike."

Aside from being treated by superior officers and government officials as servants or private guards, the group lamented that military officials have denied them their right to air their grievances "simply because our senior officers tell us to shut up or else."

The YOU also said that even military operations are no longer free from "political interference," especially when personal interests of certain politicians are at stake.

They also called for the immediate relief of military officers linked to the wiretapping of the President’s conversation with an election official and the release of the officers who launched a short-lived mutiny in July 2003.

In the manifesto, the group apologized to original YOU leaders for "initially using their name. It is our firm belief that the name connotes an untarnished image, full of idealism and firm resolve for authentic change… free from avarice and self-centered interest. We know deep in your hearts where you stand. And we will wait for your coming." — Paolo Romero, Jaime Laude