Amid coup rumors, solons urge Aquino to act on reports of AFP ‘demoralization’

MANILA, Philippines—Lawmakers urged President Benigno Aquino on Sunday to address the falling morale of the military amid rife talks of a coup d’etat by officers disgruntled by the way the President responded to the massacre of 19 soldiers by Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels in Al Barka, Basilan, last week.

“The speculations about a coup plot should not be set aside. The President must address the seeming demoralization in the military because other forces may use the incident to launch destabilization plot,” said San Juan Representative Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone said that the President should look into these fresh coup rumors and “if true, he should take concrete steps to arrest this demoralization.’’

Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said the President should send a strong message against groups toying with the peace process. “He should show that he is in command of the AFP and make sure that peace process would not be sabotaged,” said Bello.

Ejercito said he talked with some military officers in a Visayan province shortly after the MILF forces killed 19 soldiers in Basilan last Tuesday and they revealed the “creeping demoralization” among the ranks dismayed by the President’s tepid reaction to one of the worst confrontations between the Armed Forces and the Moro rebels. He said the officers told him that they were “raring to make the MILF pay back for their crime.”

“They felt it was a treacherous act on the part of the MILF. They slaughtered our brave soldiers and cowardly hid under the cloak of peace talks. This is shameful and outrageous,” said Ejercito, whose father, former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, called on the President to declare an all-out war against the Muslim rebels.

Evardone concurred with Ejercito that the MILF should not hide behind the peace talks “to wage lawlessness and violence in pursuing their own selfish interests.”

But Evardone doubted whether rumors of another destabilization plot in the military was true, considering that a “few dissenting voices” would not be enough to mount a coup. Also, Evardone said that the President’s resilient popularity would make it difficult for the military to justify a power grab.

“The coup is baseless and unfounded and won’t prosper, especially now that our soldiers are more professional and President Aquino … has been enjoying a high percentage of approval ratings among the great majority of Filipinos,” said Evardone.

In a statement, Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro Casiño said the military should follow the commander in chief on the MILF strategy. “Some officers appear to have little regard for their Commander in Chief and are questioning his sound decision. If that is the case it would be better for them to resign rather than push for their militarist agenda.”