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Arroyo says any coup attempt is doomed to failure

Any attempted coup d'etat in the Philippines will fail, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said yes-terday, as fears of unrest in the armed forces surfaced after the military put troops on red alert.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Lucero said late Tuesday the military declared the nationwide heightened alert because of possible communist rebel attacks.

But the move -- which means all soldiers must report for duty and tighter security at vital installations -- has fueled rumors of army unrest in a country with a history of military adventurism.

"I can say that no coup attempt will succeed," Arroyo said. "The Armed Forces of the Philippines is an effective institution."

She didn't elaborate.

Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz told ABS-CBN TV that the president "has stated that there's no reason to worry."

"These are just rumors. The morale of the armed forces ... is high," he said.

Some senior officers this week complained that lawmakers tarnished the image of the armed forces during a continuing congressional inquiry into military corruption.

The focus of the inquiry is Major General Carlos Garcia, who was in charge of the military's budget until earlier this year. Garcia has been accused of illegally acquiring millions of dollars and has been suspended without pay while awaiting a court-martial.

Corruption among senior officers is an explosive issue in the military, which has been battling communist rebels and Muslim separatists for the last three decades. Last July, Arroyo's government suppressed a daylong mutiny by junior officers complaining of corruption and favoritism in the higher ranks.

Senator Rodolfo Biazon, a for-mer military chief of staff, said military adventurism has not yet waned despite the defeat of coup plots over the years.

"I am not being an alarmist," he said. "I am raising this issue to forewarn the people, especially the [military]."

Another senator, Miriam Santiago, whose brother is also a former chief of staff, said "there are many things brewing in the armed forces because of the Garcia case."

In a speech Monday, Santiago accused the military of becoming the "predator of the people."
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