Gloria Macapagal Arroyo backers regrouping–Trillanes

The “oust-President Aquino” call made by a disgruntled Marine colonel “is not reflective” of the sentiments of the majority in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said on Monday.

But the videotaped statement of Col. Generoso Mariano, a Naval Reserve deputy commander, should be taken by Malacañang’s security people as a wake-up call, Trillanes said.

“Supporters of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are regrouping. Those who lost power want to regain power,” he said in Filipino in an interview on Radyo Inquirer 990 AM.

Mariano, who was stripped of his post and confined to quarters over the video, was supposed to retire on Sunday.

His video stating that it was every Filipino’s duty to “replace the government” was circulated on the Internet and in military camps. He criticized the government for what he said was its failure to save Filipinos from hunger.

Trillanes, who was detained during the Arroyo administration for leading the failed Oakwood mutiny, said the issues raised by Mariano were not exactly new.

Difference between tenures

He said the difference between the Arroyo administration and Aquino administration was that the former created problems.

“There are changes under the Aquino administration. We have decent commanders in the AFP. This is the start of reforms,” he said.

Malacañang dismissed the concerns aired by Mariano as “motherhood statements.”

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte indicated that the Palace would not look into the basis for the retired colonel’s allegations.

“The points that he raised are motherhood statements. He has no specific points,” Valte said at a news briefing.

She said it was up to the AFP to look into Mariano’s statements.

The AFP expressed confidence that no coup would be attempted during the administration of Mr. Aquino, unlike his mother, the late Corazon Aquino, whose administration was plagued by a number of coup attempts.

Out of AFP’s system

“Yes, definitely, I think it’s out of our system,” said the AFP spokesperson, Commodore Miguel Rodriguez. He was responding to questions on the prospects of a coup following the circulation of Mariano’s videotaped rant against the administration.

“It’s no longer in our blood… We had so many lessons learned about past coups and we know that this is not the way to do things—that in a professional organization the best way for us to go is to focus on our jobs and not to, you know, think about these things anymore,” Rodriguez said.

He said the AFP had requested the Philippine Navy to speed up the probe of Mariano by a special investigation committee created on Saturday.

“Colonel Mariano has requested a counsel of his own choice,” Rodriguez said. Mariano was given until Wednesday to get a lawyer, according to the military spokesperson Rodriguez said that only a crazy person would try to launch a coup at this time. “Like I said earlier, we have not had it this good. Imagine we have an upgrade program where we got half of what we got in the last 15 years and this is just one year in office of the President,” he told reporters.

He said the AFP was still probing Mariano’s real motive.

“There are a lot a rumors. I mean there are more stories than that, maybe 20 different variations of why Colonel Mariano did this,” he said.

Unpaid dental procedure

Rodriguez cited talk that Mariano became disgruntled after he was not promoted and was not reimbursed for a dental procedure.

What is clear is that Mariano’s words have no impact on the morale of the troops, the spokesperson said.

Rodriguez said the probe had not unearthed any link with supporters of Arroyo.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it was monitoring the “implications and effects” of Mariano’s call for the overthrow of the administration.

But Director General Raul M. Bacalzo said the PNP would let the AFP first finish its probe .

Bacalzo said that so far the PNP had not monitored “anybody or any policeman who is with Mariano.” Reports from Radyo Inquirer 990 AM, Norman Bordadora and DJ Yap