Lacson: ‘Coup plan’ not ‘coup plot’ vs Aquino

MANILA, Philippines—Not a coup plot, but a coup plan was how Senator Panfilo Lacson described on Wednesday the alleged ouster moves against President Benigno Aquino III.

“Not serious at all. Actually, it’s not a coup plot but a coup plan,” Lacson told reporters.

“They’re planning something, but as to as to the possibility of success even in the recruitment phase, I don’t think they will succeed. They have long been recruiting from the ranks of the active military and police personnel, until now there’s no progress yet in their recruitment,” he said.

Lacson said the recruitment in the military started late last year.

“But just as I mentioned earlier, they are planning but there are no concrete progress in their recruitment. Because in recruitment, I think the most difficult phase is you have to strike a balance between security and recruitment itself. How can you launch a coup plot without recruited active members of the armed forces?”

Lacson said there were some personalities involved in the coup plan but he refused to identify them, saying he has yet to validate his information.

But the senator said it was a “logical assumption” to suspect that allies of former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could be behind any ouster move against Aquino.

“That’s a logical assumption. Because where would destabilization come but from the former administration? Politically, it’s always adversarial for President Aquino,” he pointed out.

With or without such move against Aquino, Lacson said the President should be given necessary security measures, such as a bullet proof vehicle, to secure him.

“Any president of any country is entitled to have physical security. After all, we’re spending a lot of money and resources in securing the president, PSG (Presidential Security Guard) and all. Why not allow him to use a bulletproof vehicle? That’s not a big issue.” he further said.

Senator Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr. agreed that Aquino should be given a bulletproof car though he found it odd that the military was clueless of the President’s claim that there were forces who were out to oust him.

“As I said, it was the first time that it was the President who informed the head of the PSG that there’s a coup plot?” Marcos said.

Marcos said there was no need for Aquino to justify the need for a bulletproof car because security threats are expected for any head of a nation.