The Philippine Star 03/20/2006 As the Armed Forces rallied behind the Constitution and people assisted in the hunt for alleged destabilizers, Malacañang said yesterday authorities would be able to capture suspected coup plotters soon.
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said he shared the confidence of Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon that the coup threat "has subsided and the troops are now united in their support for the commander-in-chief."
Bunye also reiterated that the five-point guidance issued last week by Armed Forces chief Gen. Generoso Senga "clearly delineates the role of the military as professional soldiers committed to the chain of command and the Constitution."
The guidance, Bunye said, "is a fitting reminder not only to our men and women in uniform but also to politicians and civil society who wish to entice our soldiers to engage in partisan politics."
Senga has yet to decide whether court-martial proceedings against former Army Scout Rangers chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and other military officers involved in the failed power grab last Feb. 24 will push through.
Esperon had recommended the other day that Lim and 14 other officers be court-martialed for their involvement in the alleged coup plot.
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Angel Honrado said the Philippine Army will submit a report on the recommendation in the next few days.
Senga, he explained, has the authority to convene the general court martial if that would be necessary based on the recommendation of the Judge Advocate General prior to a pre-trial investigation.
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