Palace: Coup plotters planned to abolish Congress, amend Charter

Rebel soldiers would have shut down Congress and the judiciary, and placed the country under a state of emergency before amending the Constitution if they had succeeded in ousting the government, according to documents seized by the military.

The plot was detailed in documents recovered from renegade Army 1Lt. Lawrence San Juan, a Magdalo leader who was recently captured by the military in a remote town in Batangas.

Based on the recovered documents, rebel military officers would have made three proclamations after seizing power in a conspiracy with leftist groups.

In the first proclamation, they would declare a state of emergency, invalidate the results of the May 2004 elections, and shut down Congress and the judiciary.

In the second proclamation, they would amend the Constitution while a third proclamation would announce a transition government and install a new president.

However, a video documentary shown to reporters by Malacañang claimed the renegade soldiers and communist rebels had not agreed on whom to install as president.

The long-term agenda of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) is allegedly to use the military to overthrow the government with the communists taking full power in the end, the documentary added.

In the documentary titled "Sabwatan sa Kataksilan" (Conspiracy of Betrayal), Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Arturo Lomibao said the coup plot did not succeed because President Arroyo issued Proclamation 1017 declaring a state of national emergency last Feb. 24.

The controversial proclamation was lifted a week later following strong criticism from lawmakers and the media.

Appearing as a "surprise" government witness in the documentary, former mutineer Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala made a turnaround and called on his fellow Magdalo leaders and other rebel soldiers to end plotting against the government.

Gambala confirmed reports that communist rebels had been trying to forge an alliance with renegade military officers.

"You know who are our enemies, you know who are our allies," he said in the 15-minute documentary. "It’s for you to decide but as for me, I’ve been there. As I’ve always been saying, ‘There are certain things that we can’t learn, you have to experience it before you (can) understand.’

"I’ve understood it, so I don’t want to go through what I have gone through because I know it is wrong."

The second documentary, produced by Radio-TV Malacañang, was to be shown at the government-owned station NBN-4 last night.

The first documentary was titled "Paglaban sa Kataksilan: 1017" (Fighting Betrayal: 1017).

Attending the first showing in the news briefing room at Kalayaan Hall at Malacañang were Navy chief Vice Adm. Mateo Mayuga, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jose Reyes, Army Support Command chief Maj. Gen. Ricardo Brillantes and Chief Superintendent Emmanuel Carta, PNP Police Community Relations director.

Meanwhile, AFP spokesman Maj. Gen. Jose Angel Honrado said the military brass was still reviewing the case of Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim who has been relieved as Army Scout Ranger commander for his alleged participation in a failed coup.

"It’s still undergoing review," he said. "I would like to ask our people to be more patient because this is going to be a long process, especially the review portion because this involves the careers" of the officers involved, Honrado told a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo.

Honrado said Armed Forces chief Gen. Generoso Senga has not imposed any deadline for Rear Admiral Rufino Lopez, AFP inspector general, to finish the review.

"If we give a deadline, people would want to beat the deadline," he said. "They will rush things... We assure that it’s going through a thorough, transparent and honest to goodness review."

Army commander Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. has recommended to Senga that Lim and 19 other officers be court-martialed.

Esperon’s recommendation was based on the findings of the Army Inspector General who investigated the involvement of Lim and other military officers in the failed attempt to oust the government last Feb. 24.

The coup was supposed to be led by Lim and carried out by the Marines and Special Action Force troops.

Marine Col. Ariel Querubin and SAF director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco were supposed to join Lim during the 20th anniversary celebration of the EDSA 1 people power revolt, where they would have announced their withdrawal of support from Mrs. Arroyo.

Franco has been cleared by the PNP, while Querubin is now restricted to quarters for leading a standoff at Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Makati on Feb. 26.

The AFP Inspector General is in the process of consolidating Querubin’s case with that of Lim and his men.

On the other hand, 11 Magdalo soldiers have already expressed their willingness to enter into a plea bargaining agreement with the military in connection with the charges filed against them for their involvement in the failed July 27, 2003 Oakwood uprising.

Once the plea bargain agreement is concluded the 11 soldiers are expected to be released.

Military prosecutor Col. Pedro Herrera-Davila hinted that the plea bargain would be similar to the one entered into by 184 other soldiers before their release. — With Jaime Laude