More support units deployed at Aguinaldo

Support units have been pouring into the military headquarters at Camp Aguinaldo amid continuing threats to President Arroyo’s presidency, officials said yesterday.

Camp commander Commodore Tirso Danga said troops were prepared and the camp was on the second tier of a three-step alert level, despite the fact there have so far been no reports of specific threats.

"All measures are in place for any eventuality. All is well. Our troops can sleep, but are on the alert always," Danga said.

At least two battalions of support troops from nearby camps were seen trucked into Camp Aguinaldo. They were fully armed with assault rifles and other high-caliber weapons.

An official with the unit, who declined to be named, said the troops came from a neighboring camp and were told to be prepared for possible threats.

On Saturday, Mrs. Arroyo said a "state of rebellion" she declared at the height of a 22-hour uprising by some 300 rebel soldiers on July 27 would not yet be lifted.

She said there remained "residual threats" to her government, confirming statements made by military officials earlier that the mutineers still had unnamed military and civilian conspirators at large.

The rebel soldiers had demanded Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation as well as other top defense officials they said were involved in corruption in the military. They subsequently surrendered and agreed to face court martial in exchange for the government launching a probe into their allegations.

During congressional inquiries last week, military officials accused the rebel soldiers of planning to create a 15-man military junta to rule the country if Mrs. Arroyo had been ousted. – AFP