Stalled carrier near Palace sparks coup rumors

MANILA, Philippines - An armored personnel carrier’s (APC’s) brakes failed near Malacañang yesterday, triggering rumors of an anti-government uprising.

Security officials, however, denied that the presence of an armed vehicle near the country’s seat of power is due to a coup d’etat.

Maj. Emmanuel Garcia, chief of the Armed Forces 1st Civil Relations Group, said the carrier belongs to the Tarlac-based Northern Luzon Command.

He said the carrier is part of a 13-vehicle convoy – consisting of 11 M35 trucks and two carriers – which was supposed to bring ammunition to Zamboanga through Sangley Point in Cavite.

Garcia said the convoy left Camp Aquino in Tarlac at about 2 a.m. He said the drivers chose the route that passes through Sta. Mesa, Manila since it is the fastest way to transport the ammunition.

One APC, however, had trouble with its brakes near Pureza street in Sta. Mesa at around 4 a.m. The APC, which is manned by three soldiers, did not carry ammunition since it was just an escort.

Members of the Presidential Security Group, the nearest military unit in the area, responded to the troubled carrier. The vehicle was towed by a wrecker to Fort Bonifacio for repairs at about 10 a.m.

The malfunction happened amid reports that some junior officers are disgruntled with the Aquino administration’s handling of the Zamboanga crisis and the pork barrel scandal.

Garcia, however, said the military remains loyal to President Aquino.

“Being a junior officer myself, I would like to allay fears of coup d’ etat. There is no such thing. There is no issue,” said Garcia, whose unit is based in Tarlac. “The Armed Forces is fully supportive of the Aquino administration.”

Malacañang has downplayed reports about the alleged destabilization plot, dismissing them as rumors.