Esperon on destabilization plot: We’re over the hump

The country has seen the worst of the destabilization threats, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. declared yesterday.

“We are over the hump insofar as the destabilization is concerned,” Esperon said.

While there are still efforts by some groups plotting to overthrow the government, Esperon said they are no longer the concern of the military.

Esperon even claimed the usual and familiar personalities and groups involved in such attempts are already “low bat,” which he likened to a cellphone whose battery power is about to die out.

“Some people will always plan (destabilization) but if you are to take it from the Nov. 29 Peninsula Manila incident, you can see there are no new faces. Even their supporters who marched with them were also ‘low bat’,” he quipped, referring to the group of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona and Bishop Emeritus Julio Labayen who led civilians and religious groups to rally support for Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim in pressing for the resignation of President Arroyo.

Trillanes and Lim, who have been linked to past mutinies against the government, walked out of a court hearing and seized the Peninsula Manila Hotel where they holed up and called for another people power against Mrs. Arroyo.

Coup plots are nothing new in the country. In the years since democracy was restored in 1986 following the ouster of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos, there have been some half dozen failed attempts by soldiers to seize power from democratically elected governments. Mrs. Arroyo, who came to power in 2001 in the second EDSA revolt, has faced down at least three efforts to unseat her.

Esperon said it had been a fad for the common soldier to join in movements against the government.

He declared today’s soldier has grown tired of joining such movements, aside from the risk of ruining his career and profession.

Esperon said the military is not letting its guard down as he assured any plot to overthrow the government would not succeed.

Esperon added the military and police are now hot on the trail of fugitive Marine Capt. Nicanor Faeldon but admitted the renegade officer can always come up with some surprises and will continue to convince fellow officers to join him.

Faeldon managed to slip away when police assaulted the Peninsula Manila to end the standoff staged by Trillanes and Lim.

The most defiant among the detained Magdalo officers, Faeldon escaped anew from custody during the Nov. 29 standoff.

Faeldon first escaped on Dec. 15, 2005 when, after attending a court hearing, he simply disappeared. He was subsequently recaptured in Malabon early February the following year.

The government has put a P1-million bounty for any information leading to Faeldon’s recapture.

“(Faeldon) will always try or attempt to recruit some people but I must tell you that we are more than ready to quell any of their activities if they should go, if they should come out openly,” Esperon said.

Faeldon was earlier reported to have contacted his fellow officers and invited them to join his quest.

Instead, some of the officers reported the recruitment efforts to their superiors, Esperon said.

A senior military official in Mindanao disclosed such recruitment efforts.

Maj. Gen. Nehemias Pajarito, commander of the Army’s 1st Tabak Division, said the reports prompted them to conduct a thorough investigation and intelligence monitoring of the recruitment efforts.

“We have also received reports of alleged recruitment of soldiers to join the destabilization but based on our investigation no one was found to be conducting such sinister act,” Pajarito said.

He said troops in the Zamboanga peninsula have been reminded of the dangers of joining such moves. – With Roel Pareño