Lim transferred to Army custody

Army Scout Ranger commander Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, detained over allegations linking him to the coup plot against President Arroyo last Friday, has been transferred to Army headquarters at Fort Bonifacio in Makati City for further investigation.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Generoso Senga ordered the transfer of Lim from his custody a day after he ordered the arrest of the general in complicity with the latest coup attempt against the President.

Senga ordered Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon to take custody of Lim for further investigation.

Senga said military investigators will be doing the probe on Lim to determine the degree of the charges to be filed against the General before a court-martial.

Lim was ordered arrested after the general reportedly tried to convince Senga to join other officers in declaring their withdrawal of support from Mrs. Arroyo.

Lim was allegedly planning to make his dramatic announcement before the crowd gathering at the EDSA 1 celebrations on Friday.

Lim’s supposed involvement in the latest power grab has been described as a "clear and present danger" by military and police authorities.

Malacañang learned of the plans, prompting President Arroyo to issue Proclamation 1017 placing the entire country under a state of national emergency.

Intelligence reports said Lim, one of the founders of the Young Officers Union (YOU) that supported several bloody coup attempts against former President Corazon Aquino in the 1980s, went back to his old rebellious habits by encouraging soldiers to join moves to oust Mrs. Arroyo.

However, Senga clarified that Lim came to his office, not to convince him to turn against the President, but to report on alleged recruitment efforts by coup plotters.

He said Lim reported his efforts to try to dissuade the soldiers from getting involved in destabilization moves.

But it turned out that Lim was among the coup plotters himself, he said.

Senga said that military intelligence determined that Lim was engaging in double-talk.

"He was subsequently restricted after intelligence reports showed that he would commit illegal acts," he said.

Aside from Lim, Army Col. Ariel Querubin, the commanding officer of the 1st Marine Brigade based in Marawi City, was also ordered confined to headquarters for alleged involvement in the coup plot.

Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco, commander of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF), was also relieved and placed under investigation in the latest power grab attempt.

In a written report submitted to Director Marcelo Ele Jr., chief PNP directorate for investigation and detective management (DIDM), Franco denied the allegations of wrongdoing.

The DIDM was tasked by PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao to investigate the involvement of Franco, Senior Superintendent Benjamin Magalong, Chief Inspector Eric Dilag and a certain Inspector Paloma in the quashed coup attempt. Magalong was the former SAF’s chief of staff. — With Non Alquitran