Destabilization rumors are baseless – military officials

There is no destabilization threat against the Benigno Aquino III administration by military officials associated with former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Philippine military officials said Wednesday. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief of staff for intelligence Maj. Gen. Francisco Cruz said reports on supposed destabilization moves are “untrue, have no basis, and mere propaganda." Rumors of destabilization attempts are spreading amid reports of demoralization in the military stemming from government’s refusal to take aggressive action against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), whose members killed 19 Special Forces soldiers and officers in the Oct. 18 attack in Al Barka, Basilan. Asked about last Monday's supposed disclosure by deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte about alleged destabilization moves, Cruz said: “I don’t know what their basis [is] but on the ground, there is none." For his part, AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Oban said the military is checking on destabilization reports. But he noted that he had heard Valte saying she had been misquoted in some reports. “We’ll check also," said Oban. “But definitely, we are focused on our mandate. We’d like to assure everybody that we remain focused on our mandate. We have job to accomplish," the Oban added. Also he said he visited the headquarters of the AFP Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) and AFP Eastern Mindnao Command (Eastmincom) Monday, and that commanders on the ground belied reports of demoralization. “I’d like tell you that the morale (of the troops) is high, I was assured by the commanders on the ground that everybody in the area both in Wesmincom and Eastmincom are really after the successful operation," said Oban. Meanwhile, Cruz dismissed the need to conduct a loyalty check. “The Army has already said that there is no demoralization, it's part of our job [to be killed in combat], those are hazards in the military profession. Its not only in the Philippines but its all over the world. Those are the experiences of the armed forces," said Cruz. “But mind you, there is no such thing as demoralization. Its a fabrication, it’s a product of imagination of somebody who like this government to go down," Cruz said. Last Tuesday, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office head Ricky Carandang also dismissed the possibility of a coup d’etat despite President Aquino's refusal to declare an all-out war MILF. “May tiwala kami na naiintindihan ng ating mga sundalo ito. May tiwala kami na wala sa kanila ang may gusto ng gulo," he said in an interview with “News To Go" anchor and GMA News Online editor-in-chief Howie Severino. Coup plot possible Amid denials by top military officials, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday said there may be plans to overthrow the Aquino administration due to alleged restlessness in the military. "Yes (there may be destabilization plots). It is consistent with the information that we have gathered," the senator said. A former Navy officer, Trillanes said it is likely that the soldiers are disappointed with Aquino for not coming out with a stronger statement on atrocities of some members of the MILF. But he "seriously doubts" the alleged destabilization plot would "go beyond a coup rumor." Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, in an earlier text message to reporters, had said reports of restlessness among Philippine law enforcers were not true. "PNoy enjoys the support of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police; the MILF issue is not a reason at all to cause destabilization of his leadership," said the senator, who used to head the PNP. Mere rumor For his part, Sen. Gregorio Honasan, a former military colonel, said there is no basis for assuming there are destabilization plots. "I consider it a rumor. To my mind, [the military] is very, very intact. The Armed Forces is solid behind the Constitution, and the commander in chief who represents the Constitution," he told reporters in an interview on Wednesday. "Nobody just makes a statement like that without adequate basis. (In the military there is a method of) classifying information, which verifies the authenticity and reliability of both the information and the source," he added. Honasan also said that if there really is a destabilization plot, it would not succeed because the root for the outcry is not that deep. — LBG, GMA News