Military chief: Coup plots likely to fail

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Generoso Senga on Tuesday said soldiers plotting to unseat President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would inevitably fall flat on their faces. During the public hearing of his confirmation as a four-star general, Senga said there is a very low possibility that coup d’ etat plans will push through. He told the Commission on Appointments (CA) that it is normal for soldiers to have complaints, which was why they set up a grievance committee to look into the gripes of AFP soldiers. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, a CA member, supported Senga’s statements saying those who were planning such serious matters would be very careful in disclosing details of the plot. Enrile, a former defense minister, was a key figure in the first EDSA revolt which ousted the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. The Armed Forces itself had previously admitted receiving information that disgruntled soldiers were the targets of recruitment efforts for a fresh coup. Military leaders earlier expressed hope military commanders could dissuade ground troops from joining coup attempts. They were now closing in on the civilian financiers of the alleged coup plot. AFP spokesman Colonel Tristan Kison said coup plotters always try to push through with their plans but military officials have done everything to address the threat.-GMANEWS.TV