Anti-gov’t forces eyeing Labor Day push

Anti-government groups are regrouping to launch a fresh attempt to bring down President Arroyo on May 1, to coincide with Labor Day, after failing in their previous bid last month, a senior intelligence official revealed yesterday.

However, the official — who spoke on condition of anonymity — dismissed the capability of the plotters, saying they are disorganized.

Mrs. Arroyo clamped down on opponents after declaring a state of national emergency on Feb. 24 to thwart a reported coup attempt by an alliance between disgruntled military officers and communist rebels and their civilian backers.

"After Feb. 24, they’re back on the consolidation and the least they could do now is for them to create some sort of public inconvenience," the intelligence official said without elaborating.

In May 2001 shortly after former President Joseph Estrada’s ouster, hundreds of his supporters stormed Malacañang in an attempt to reinstall him but were beaten back by security forces. Four protesters were killed.

Since then, the Arroyo administration has been wary of large demonstrations.

The latest coup threat was neutralized with the arrest of military officers involved in the plot, the intelligence official said. The coup plan called for turning the military against Mrs. Arroyo.

The military played a key role in the popular uprisings that toppled Marcos and Estrada, Mrs. Arroyo’s immediate predecessor, in 2001.

Mrs. Arroyo, who has been fighting opposition allegations of vote-rigging in the May 2004 presidential elections, relies heavily on the military’s support to remain in office although the military leadership repeatedly gave assurances that the armed forces would remain neutral.

Authorities currently investigating the extent of the coup attempt are eyeing at least two people suspected of helping finance the failed takeover.

A senior military officer, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, told an intelligence briefing that one of the alleged financiers is a member of the opposition in the Senate, while the other is a former ranking government official. He did not give their names.

The former official also allegedly bankrolled the 2003 mutiny of the Magdalo group of disgruntled officers, the officer added.

The opposition senator, on the other hand, allegedly shelled out millions for the plot, codenamed "Oplan Hackle," but remained largely on the sidelines.

"Oplan Hackle has been neutralized. We have broken their momentum," the source said, but added that opposition groups are regrouping to make another attempt to force Mrs. Arroyo from office.

The only public support they could rely on is from the left, he added.

The officer’s report, however, could not be independently confirmed.

Mrs. Arroyo issued Proclamation No. 1017 declaring a "state of national emergency" three weeks ago to counter what she said was a "tactical alliance" of communist rebels, "military adventurists" and elements in the political opposition aimed at toppling her.

Her proclamation came on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the EDSA I people power revolt that toppled the brutal Marcos dictatorship.

She came under intense fire from opposition activists and civil libertarians, who say her order was unconstitutional and virtually imposed martial law.

They worry that a string of warrantless arrests, a ban on rallies and a raid on a critical newspaper would jeopardize political freedom and fan unrest.

Many analysts saw Mrs. Arroyo’s reaction as excessive and suspected her of exaggerating the alleged coup threat to allow the military and the police to clamp down on her opponents.

Mrs. Arroyo lifted the emergency declaration on March 3 after her security advisers assured her that the reported coup threat had eased and the situation in the country had normalized.

She warned that she would not hesitate to declare another emergency to fight groups seeking her ouster over allegations that she cheated in the 2004 presidential election.

Mrs. Arroyo denies rigging the election outcome and has rejected calls to step down next year and make way for parliamentary elections under a new Philippine Constitution that would replace the current presidential form of government.

Christian evangelist Eddie Villanueva, who made a bid for the presidency in the 2004 multi-corner race, issued a statement yesterday supporting Sen. Edgardo Angara’s suggestion for a "snap" presidential election to resolve the political crisis.

"These problems besetting our nation, including the military restiveness and divisiveness, largely emanated from the question of legitimacy of the Arroyo government," Villanueva said in a statement. "That is why, once and for all, we have to get rid of the root cause."

Mrs. Arroyo has repeatedly vowed to complete her six-year term, which ends in mid-2010.

The only experience the Philippines has had with "snap elections" was in 1986, declared by Marcos to resolve questions about his rule. His victory, however, was tainted by accusations of cheating, which eventually sparked a mutiny that led to the People Power revolt. — With Evelyn Macairan