Magdalo breakaway group scores AFP adventurism

Several military officers who staged a one-day mutiny in July 2003 issued a statement yesterday warning the men and women in uniform against military adventurism following persistent rumors of a coup plot against President Arroyo.

"In the midst of our former companions’ call for drastic actions against the government, we also want to state that we remain steadfast in our realization that military intervention is not the way to effect change," 14 junior Armed Forces officers declared in a statement.

The Magdalo mutineers warned soldiers to remain vigilant against those who "advertise themselves as saviors of the nation, when in truth, they have bargained our future to our enemies just to achieve their personal ends," referring to their former comrades’ alleged newly formed alliance with communist rebels.

"We sincerely express our disapproval of these developments because we are aware of the left’s design to take advantage of the situation to divide and destroy the (military)," they said.

The statement was signed by Army captains Gerardo Gambala and Milo Maestrecampo; and captains Alvin Ebreo, Albert Baloloy and Laurence Somera; first lieutenants Jeffrey Cauguiran, Jose Dingle, Rex Bolo, Warren Dagupon, Cleo Donga-as and Florentino Somera; and second lieutenants Bryan Yasay, Regino Orteza and Wary Tayaban.

They are detained at the Army’s headquarters at Fort Bonifacio in Makati City.

With the exception of Ebreo, the officers signed a manifesto on Sept. 21 last year declaring their support for President Arroyo. This reportedly drove a wedge between them and four of their colleagues — Marine captains Nicanor Faeldon and Gary Alejano and Navy lieutenants Antonio Trillanes IV and James Layug — who remain opposed to Mrs. Arroyo.

The four are detained at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Camp Aguinaldo, where Gambala and the others were also detained before they were taken to Fort Bonifacio to prevent hostilities between the two sides.

Camp Aguinaldo insiders say the manifesto of support was part of a deal with the government in exchange for a lighter sentence.

In July 2003, the young officers and their troops — altogether numbering 300 — seized a ritzy residential condominium complaining of rampant corruption in the armed forces.

Hailing from elite military units, the mutineers identified themselves as "the Magdalo," after a band of Filipino revolutionaries who fought Spanish colonial rule in the 19th century.

They accused the military leadership of selling weapons to rebel groups. They surrendered within a day after negotiating with the government.

The Philippines is no stranger to coup attempts and rumors of instability after people power revolts that toppled two presidents and at least a dozen failed military interventions since 1986.

The Arroyo administration routinely warns of destabilization plots by opposition forces loyal to deposed President Joseph Estrada, whom Mrs. Arroyo replaced in 2001 following a military-backed popular uprising.

Mrs. Arroyo has been under intense political pressure since admitting she called an election official before Congress had declared the winner of the May 2004 presidential vote. But she has denied trying to cheat and pledged to complete her six-year term in 2010.

The political crisis — the worst to hound Mrs. Arroyo since she came to power — has sparked fresh fears of a military intervention to resolve the political impasse.