‘Another coup possible if soldiers’ grievances are ignored’

Another coup attempt is a possibility if the government fails to immediately address the issues and grievances aired by rebel soldiers who mounted the failed July 27 mutiny.

This was the admission made by Ambassador Roy Cimatu, the chief government negotiator during the mutiny, in his post-negotiation report to President Arroyo.

A copy of Cimatu’s report, dated July 28, was submitted before the fact-finding Feliciano Commission, which was tasked with looking into the root causes of the rebellion.

Cimatu’s report adds legitimacy to the claims made by the Magdalo mutineers that they had acted out their grievances when they occupied the posh Oakwood Premier Ayala Center in Makati City’s central business district and booby trapped the condotel and the adjacent Glorietta shopping complex.

Since the peaceful resolution of the 22-hour standoff at the Oakwood, the government has hurled several accusations against the rebel soldiers.

During the Feliciano Commission hearings, several testimonies referred to allegations that the Magdalo soldiers’ mutiny was masterminded by Sen. Gregorio Honasan and that their grievances were merely being used as a cover for the real agenda of toppling the Arroyo administration.

According to Cimatu’s report, the rebel soldiers cited five demands during the negotiations.

The group sought the creation of an independent investigative body to investigate the bombings in the cities of Davao and Koronadal earlier this year. Some mutiny leaders who had been based in Mindanao claimed the bombings were perpetrated by the government through high-ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Plans for the execution of these bombings, the rebel soldiers said, were contained in a document called "Oplan Greenbase." The rebel soldiers said they obtained copies of Oplan Greenbase, which they alleged was authored by presidential adviser on the peace process Eduardo Ermita.

Ermita and the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP) have denied the contents of the document and said that "Oplan Greenbase" is a spurious document.

The rebel soldiers also demanded the creation of an independent commission that will look into and appropriate reforms in the AFP Finance and Budget system and logistic and procurement system to include alleged institutional malpractice within the AFP.

Similar probes and reforms were sought by the mutineers regarding the alleged pilferage, sale and trafficking of government-issued firearms and munitions to the enemy and the updating and acceleration of the audit and ongoing investigation into the AFP Retirement and Separation Benefits System.

On the issues of personnel, morale and welfare, the rebel soldiers complained the AFP has a "very strained and low standard medical and health service delivery system," which is inadequate for the needs of the soldiers and their families.

The AFP Housing Program was also scored by the mutineers for falling below its goal of providing quarters to all active personnel.

The mutineers said 70 percent of the occupants of the Bonifacio Naval Center are retired personnel and officers.

The delay in the release of benefits to the families of soldiers slain in battle was also criticized by the rebel soldiers.

Officers from the Philippine Air Force (PAF) claimed there are blatant favoritism and a disproportionate pilot-to-aircraft ratio, causing delays in training and promotion.

The fifth demand aired by the Magdalo group was for the resignations of then ISAFP chief Brig. Gen. Victor Corpus, then Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes and Philippine National Police Director General Hermogenes Ebdane.

Corpus was the first to tender his resignation, followed by Reyes. Ebdane, whose resignation was sought over what the Magdalo group branded as his incompetence in the escape of terrorist Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, has held on.

Cimatu said the rebel soldiers disagreed among themselves with regards to the demands for the resignations of Corpus, Reyes and Ebdane.

He said a peaceful solution to the July 27 mutiny would not have been possible if negotiations had not taken place.

While the negotiations made a peaceful end to the mutiny possible, Cimatu cautioned that "unless the issues are immediately addressed, there lies a possibility that this kind of situation will be repeated."

The Feliciano Commission is waiting for Cimatu to arrive from Iraq to testify on the July 27 incident.