Philippines coup plot not over
2003-07-31 10:38
Manila - President Gloria Arroyo and the Philippines' top general said on Thursday a military mutiny against her was "far from over" and the government was mounting "preemptive measures" stop the spread of the rebellion.
Arroyo ruled out the imposition of martial rule to contain the threat, saying: "This thing won't last long."
"There are plotters, operators, financiers and backers, both in and out of government, who are still (out) in the cold. We will expose them and bring them to justice," she said in a statement.
About 300 mutineers seized a section of the Makati financial district before dawn on Sunday in support of calls for Arroyo's resignation. But they surrendered less than 24 hours later when they failed to win support.
"It is true that the plot is far from over, but it is being contained and will soon be completely under control," Arroyo said. "We are engaged in preemptive measures - administratively, operationally and politically."
Armed forces chief of staff General Narciso Abaya amplified the president's warning.
"The threat is still live, meaning to say that based on our information, there are several members who are still at large who we believe might be part of the coup attempt," Abaya told a congressional public hearing on Sunday's mutiny.
"We are continuing our investigations to see whether we have fully accounted for those who are involved," he added.
Abaya said at least one of the junior officers who was arrested in connection with the mutiny had received death threats.
"If you have gotten into this group, there seems to be a compact among them that they do not have to reveal the plot, otherwise they, or even their families were threatened with bodily harm."
One member of deposed president Joseph Estrada's cabinet has been charged in connection with the rebellion, while Interior Secretary Jose Lina said the government was preparing similar charges against opposition Senator Gregorio Honasan and other civilians he did not name.
Both Estrada and Honasan have denied any role in the rebellion.
- AFP