3 businessmen identified as alleged financiers of failed coup

Three businessmen have been identified as among the alleged financiers of a failed coup plot that forced President Arroyo to issue a decree placing the country under a state of national emergency last week, Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor revealed yesterday.

Without mentioning any names, Defensor said the three businessmen were now being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) over reports that they had provided funding for the failed coup attempt against the government.

Defensor said one of the businessmen came from Cebu and acted as their "collector."

"They are businessmen and one of them is reportedly from Cebu," Defensor said.

On the other hand, Makati Business Club (MBC) executive director Guillermo Luz opted against issuing any statement regarding Defensor’s claims.

"I don’t know, I don’t want to speculate," Luz told The STAR after being asked if he believed he was among those to be investigated.

The MBC led by Luz had been supporting calls for Mrs. Arroyo to resign since last year.

Defensor, on the other hand, presided over the showing of a 12-minute documentary which detailed more coup attempts in the coming weeks.

The documentary — titled "Sister Act 1" and "Sister Act 2" — included supposed violent backup plans to be set in motion in the next three months, including assassination attempts on First Family members and attacks on vital installations.

The plans are allegedly going to be implemented between March 18 to 27 through another "people power."

Security officials led by Armed Forces chief Gen. Generoso Senga and Navy chief Vice Adm. Mateo Mayuga joined Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita in the security briefing to Palace reporters.

Senga took the stand to narrate a documentary titled "The Fight Against Traitors: 1017" before the media.

Senga said "Sister Act 1" and "Sister Act 2" was to be the implementation of the "main event" of "Oplan Hackle" that was to be launched starting the last week of February to the first week of March.

"Sister Act 1," he said, would be implemented from March 18 to 22. The documentary alleged that "Sister Act 1" would include violent acts against "high-profile targets."

The documentary disclosed that "Sister Act 2" would be implemented from March 23 to 27, the alleged climax of the main event.

"The main event includes attacks on military camps, elimination of high-profile targets, including assassination. The name of the President was mentioned, also a Cabinet official, and the top brass of the Armed Forces," said Army chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon during an interview in the documentary.

The attacks would also include the takeover of television and radio stations, telecommunications facilities and the capture of some key provinces, the documentary said.

Esperon disclosed that leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) and the rightist group led by retired Army colonels Rafael Galvez and Jake Malajacan along with cashiered Army 1Lt. Lawrence San Juan had forged a tactical alliance to set up a junta, implement "true reforms" and exchange intelligence information.

The two sides agreed to install former senator Gregorio Honasan as the chairman of the new revolutionary government, Esperon said.

The Army chief said the details were based on transcripts seized from San Juan from at least two meetings on Nov. 10 last year and Feb. 20.

Honasan reportedly thanked the communists for joining forces with military rebels after two and a half years of initiatives to forge an agreement.

The documentary also detailed the plot to overthrow the government by supporters of deposed President Joseph Estrada, the political opposition, leftist front organizations, and the so-called "Hyatt 10" composed of erstwhile Cabinet members of Mrs. Arroyo.

Assisting the overthrow of the government, wittingly or unwittingly, would be professionals, students and even members of the Catholic Church, the documentary said.

Defensor said copies of the documentary would also be sent to the business community, the Church and other concerned sectors. — Michael Punongbayan