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Manila uncovers 'plot to destabilize government'

"We have always been ready for these kinds of activities, we can put down destabilization moves."

General Hermogenes Esperon

Philippine authorities have uncovered a well-financed plot to destabilize the government following the arrest of five military-linked conspirators, the military chief of staff said yesterday.

"There is already evidence that firearms are being transported, some recruitment is ongoing, including inside the chain [of command]," General Hermogenes Esperon said.

He cited the arrest of five men, former colleagues in the army's elite Scout Ranger regiment, on Tuesday while transporting firearms to a Manila house.

Esperon said the plot would not succeed, citing a failed attempt in November by senator and ex-navy officer Antonio Trillanes to mount a mutiny against Philippine President Gloria Arroyo.

The attempted mutiny, which saw Trillanes and a group of supporters occupy a hotel for several hours, received no support from soldiers and was swiftly quelled.

"We have always been ready for these kinds of activities, we can put down destabilization moves," Esperon said.

Esperon said the armed forces were searching for the financiers behind the group, remarking that the five men held on Tuesday could not have afforded to rent the safehouse where they were caught.

He hinted that there would be more arrests, saying: "We are not letting our guard down. We are making follow up [operations] and so just keep watching."

Arroyo has fended off several efforts by renegade military men to unseat her since she was installed in a military-backed popular uprising in 2001.
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