Philippine military chief identifies two officers as coup planners

Philippine military chief Hermogenes Esperon said on Thursday that he has identified two officers as those who asked the military leadership to withdraw support from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in February.

Former Marine commandant Renato Miranda and former Philippine National Police (PNP)'s Special Forces Chief Marcelino Franco asked the military top leaders to support their coup plan on Feb. 24, Esperson said.

The two officers were pinned down by Esperon in his affidavit to a court martial.

"Miranda and Franco asked us to support them or their plans," said Esperon in a chance interview, referring to then military chief Generoso Senga, himself as then Army chief, Air Force chief Jose Reyes and Navy chief Mateo Mayuga.

Esperon said that he turned down the offer made by Miranda and Franco.

The PNP has previously cleared Franco of any involvement in the plot to destabilize the government. Incidentally, Esperon, Miranda and Franco are all members of the Philippine Military Academy class of 1974.

Besides Miranda and Franco, Former First Scout Ranger Regiment commander, Danilo Lim and Marine Col. Ariel Querubin were also proved to have informed Senga of their plan to join the anti- government rallies on Feb. 24 and withdraw their support from President Arroyo.

Lim and Querubin are still under military detention for their trials. Miranda and Franco were relieved from their positions before and after the failed coup attempt respectively.

Source: Xinhua