Two senior military officers submit selves to AFP probe body

Two detained senior military officers linked to a plot to oust President Arroyo have appeared before a fact-finding body headed by the Armed Forces inspector general.

The arrival Monday at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City of Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, former First Scout Ranger Regiment commander, was kept under wraps.

AFP spokesman Maj. Gen. Jose Angel Honrado and AFP public information chief Col. Tristan Kison held a press briefing apparently to cover Lim’s presence at AFP headquarters.

On the other hand, reporters were barred from interviewing Col. Ariel Querubin, former 1st Marine Brigade commander, who arrived at the Inspector General’s office at about 1 p.m. yesterday.

Querubin, a Medal of Valor awardee, is restricted to quarters for leading a six-hour standoff at Marine headquarters at Fort Bonifacio last Feb. 26.

Lim discreetly faced the military fact-finding body Monday, while Querubin was summoned and reported yesterday to Rear Admiral Rufino Lopez, AFP inspector general.

Lim’s and Querubin’s statements to investigators were not made available to the media.

The Inspector General will determine whether Lim and Querubin and 19 middle and junior grade officers accused of plotting to oust Mrs. Arroyo should face court martial.

The 19 middle junior grade officers have been confined to quarters for almost two months now.

Lim and Querubin were initially investigated by their mother units the Army and Navy.

Army commander Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon had endorsed the Army Inspector General’s findings that Lim and 19 other Army officers be court-martialled.

However, the Navy silently conducted its investigation on Querubin and forwarded its findings to AFP headquarters.

The AFP has earlier tagged Lim and Querubin, along with now retired Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco, former Special Action Force commander, as leaders of the "oust Arroyo plot’s" military component.

Lim and Querubin were also accused of being part of "Oplan Hackle," a grand plot supposedly hatched by renegade soldiers and communist rebels in late 2003 to topple Mrs. Arroyo.

Oplan Hackle has sub-plots which include Sister Act 1, Sister Act 2, Final Talk Two, Oplan Liras, Oplan Gemstone, and the latest Oplan 4G, the military said.

On Feb. 24, under Oplan Final Talk Two, Lim and Querubin accompanied by AFP Deputy Chief for Intelligence Brig. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang sought an audience with Senga to discuss some important security matters.

During the meeting, Lim and Querubin, as per Senga’s statements, signified their intention to join the EDSA I anniversary celebration.

There were reports –though Senga refused to confirm this –that Lim and Querubin tried to convince him to join their group.

After the meeting, Senga called in his service commanders for security consultation.

In attendance were Esperon, Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jose Reyes and Navy chief Vice Adm. Mateo Mayuga.

Senga and the three service commanders later called in Lim to join the conference only to be chastised by Reyes and Esperon.

But Lim apparently held his ground and maintained that he would join the EDSA 1 rally, prompting Senga to admonish him and order his arrest.

Lim has already presented himself before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which is conducting a parallel investigation.

At the NBI, Lim denied any involvement in the reported coup plot as he declared that the government, instead of prosecuting him, should be thankful because he was able to pacify restiveness in the military.