GMA: No to ‘collective leadership’

President Arroyo vehemently rejected yesterday any suggestion for collective leadership in the government as supposedly espoused by stalwarts of so-called civil society. She also dismissed talks of a coup as "one of those foolish things."

In an interview over GMA-7 television network late Tuesday, Mrs. Arroyo said calls by the Council on Philippine Affairs (COPA) for "collective leadership" have no constitutional basis.

"We have a unitary form of government. That is what our Constitution calls for. In fact, this is not even a coalition government. This is a unified government," she said.

The President made the remark a day after COPA leaders denied reports that their group was involved in forming a so-called "Freedom Force" that would install "collective leadership" in the country.

She said a COPA leader, former Tarlac Rep. Jose "Pe-ping" Cojuangco, called her on Tuesday to explain the issue and deny involvement in any alleged plot to topple her administration.

"We’re thankful that they denied it already. I’ll take their word for it," the President said even as she virtually confirmed that her security advisers have been monitoring COPA’s alleged anti-administration activities.

"I’ll take it with a shrug of the shoulder as another one of those foolish things," she added.

The Palace in a statement said the President does not have any plan to meet with COPA officials nor add any fuel to the controversy.

Acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable also said the government has no intention of filing charges against the COPA leaders.

The President, however, sternly warned Philippine National Police (PNP) training chief, Director Florencio Fianza, who is associated with COPA, "to stop all these things."

PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza, for his part, said he has asked Fianza to explain his involvement in the COPA caper and has ordered police to verify rumors that 19 generals are involved in COPA activities.

The "collective leadership" issue was supposedly raised by another COPA leader, former Press Secretary and STAR columnist Teodoro Benigno, who announced on his column on Monday that the so-called "Freedom Forces" would be launched in June.

Benigno wrote in his controversial column that he and other COPA leaders discussed the launching of the Freedom Forces in a meeting with Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin at the prelate’s Villa San Miguel residence earlier this week.

After the meeting, however, the cardinal wrote a letter to Cojuangco rejecting the proposal for "collective leadership" and expressed support to the Arroyo administration.

A copy of the Cardinal’s letter was also sent to presidential assistant on ecclesiastical and media affairs Conrado Limcaoco who subsequently leaked the letter to media.

Benigno, on the other hand, explained that the "Freedom Force" he was talking about would only be established in case of a social revolution.

"If it appears that there are beginnings of a revolutionary civil war, only then would there be a Freedom Force," Benigno said in a radio interview.

But the President dismissed Benigno’s premises as "nonsense."

"Wala iyan. Ang layo-layo niyan (That’s nonsense. That is far-fetched), she said. "They are only imagining those things but their premises are wrong."

However, government security officials reacted strongly to the alleged coup plot and threatened to charge COPA officials in court.

But Senate President Franklin Drilon said there appears to be no basis to file charges against the COPA leaders nor any basis to establish "collective leadership" in the country.

Dismissing claims that 19 generals are plotting against the government, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said military officers who are found to be involved in spreading such rumors would be investigated.

"The moment we know that they are part of these discussions, they should be investigated and we will have them investigated," Reyes said, urging COPA leaders to identify these generals.

"Generals are different from other players. As generals, they are supposed to stick to generalship," said Reyes, himself instrumental in the succession of the Arroyo administration.