No Thai-style coup in RP — DND chief

Top military and defense officials declared anew that no copycat coup attempts will be staged in the Philippines in the immediate future following the coup that ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra last Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz said power grabs against the civilian leadership are "a thing of the past."

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, for his part, said the military is preoccupied with imposing discipline and reform in the ranks.

He said these two factors are the essential elements that prevent restiveness that spawn military adventurism and attempts to grab power.

During Thursday night’s Manila Overseas Press Club "Defense Night" forum at the Hotel InterContinental in Makati City, Cruz described Esperon as a "poster boy for no coups in the Philippines."

"General Esperon has a very sharp mind. He has the passion for reform(s)," Cruz said.

For his part, Esperon said the military has been made fully aware of its mandated tasks. He said staging coups would be a step farther from political maturity.

"We must reassure you that it is our belief that the matter of staging a coup or any destabilization would be a step away from political maturity and the general economic development of this country and so it is very obvious where we should be, we will not... we are not even thinking of it..." he said.

Esperon declared that no coup will ever succeed in the country, which Cruz described as more democratically and economically stable than it was five years ago.

"We don’t see any kind of coup, iba naman ako, iba naman kami (we are different from our Thai counterparts)," he said.

Cruz added the rigid military justice system imposed on restive officers and servicemen has discouraged further coup attempts.

Cruz said the officers facing several violations of the Articles of War for the foiled Feb. 24 coup are now under pre-trial investigation by the military’s Judge Advocate General.

Esperon assured he would immediately make the decision once the pre-trial panel submits its recommendations to him.

Renewed efforts

Administration lawmakers, for their part, slammed critics and their opposition colleagues for exploiting the coup in Thailand to renew their efforts to unseat President Arroyo.

Ilocos Sur Rep. Salacnib Baterina and Lanao del Sur Rep. Benasing Macarambon said detractors have apparently renewed their efforts to unseat Mrs. Arroyo by comparing her situation to Thaksin’s before the coup.

"All these (adventurists) will fail as the previous tries also fell flat on the plotters‘ and financiers’ faces. It will always be a futile exercise as long as GMA (Mrs. Arroyo’s initials) is in Malacañang," the lawmakers said in a joint statement.

The two congressmen said the failed coup last February indicated the strong resolve of the AFP to put down military adventurism.

"With our economy gaining ground, there is no reason for our patriotic AFP to launch a coup. The more that our AFP will support our government because of the proven sound leadership of the President," they said.

Baterina noted the opposition is using the Thai coup to discredit the Charter change initiatives for a parliamentary shift.

On the contrary, the argument by the opposition made the people more interested in Charter change initiatives.

Macarambon, for his part, explained the Thai coup experience will "never be replicated in the Philippines because of the competent leadership of the President and the proven loyalty of the Armed Forces of the Philippines."

Two other senior House members also gave assurances that a majority of congressmen will thwart any effort of the Arroyo administration to revive martial law.

"We are not at all powerless against martial law," Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Roseller Barinaga declared.

He reiterated the House of Representatives has "the constitutional power to revoke the proclamation of martial law."

Barinaga also reminded the government that martial law is a system prone to abuse of power.

"Filipinos are all too aware of the dictatorial signs and they will not tolerate these tendencies," he said.

Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella also vowed to fight moves to revive martial law.

As the country observed the historic proclamation that marked the darkest era in history 34 years ago, Puentevella said the country has had enough.

He even reminded Mrs. Arroyo "not to even consider putting the Philippines under martial law again."

Puentevella said martial law is a "monster defeated by a bloodless popular revolt" that toppled the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos in February 1986.

"We shall never allow it again. Even President Arroyo is one with us in this resolve," he said. - With Delon Porcalla