A colonel and two lieutenant colonels were relieved of their posts on Feb. 16 for allegedly trying to recruit reservists for planned protests backing opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr., military spokesman Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero said.
Col. Ernie Amboy, Lt. Col. Nelson Eleazar and Lt. Col. Eduardo de Castro are now restricted to barracks at Fort Bonifacio in Makati City while their possible links to other military plotters or to opposition politicians are investigated.
They were placed under the custody of Army chief Maj. Gen. Efren Abu.
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the government is confident the activities of the three "will not have any support" from either the military or the civilian population.
"One of the issues we want to find out is if they are taking orders from any civilian or politician," Lucero said. He would not give further details to avoid compromising the probe.
"It looks like they are hoping they will be given a much higher position if their presidential bet wins," said Lucero.
Army spokesman Lt. Col. Joselito Kakilala said the three have been reassigned to Mindanao so "at least their partisan activities are contained and neutralized."
Amboy and Eleazar each have units based at Camp Riego de Dios in Tanza, Cavite. De Castro is with the Army’s Reserve Command based at Fort Bonifacio.
Lucero said the three held meetings with military reservists every weekend.
"At first we just ignored these meetings until it reached an alarming level when the group met from evening till dawn one weekend at Camp Riego de Dios," he said.
"Instead of teaching these reservists about military tactics and the art of war, they were discovered to be recruiting them to be part of a group that would conduct a mass action if ever their presidential candidate is disqualified by the Supreme Court," Lucero said.
The three also allegedly met with members of Poe’s camp, Lucero added. He did not elaborate. Poe’s camp, the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino, gave no immediate comment.
Surveys show Poe, the country’s biggest movie star, is in a dead-heat with President Arroyo.
But Poe’s qualifications have been questioned, with the Supreme Court is expected to rule this afternoon on petitions seeking his disqualification from the race on the grounds that he is not a natural-born Filipino.
Poe support groups have threatened massive street protests if the political novice is disqualified.
Lucero said there were signs the three arrested officers were linked to such groups but would not identify them.
The specter of military intervention in politics has haunted the country since a military-backed uprising in January 2001 ousted president Joseph Estrada, a former movie star and close friend of Poe, and installed Mrs. Arroyo.
In July last year, about 300 officers and enlisted men, complaining of corruption in the military and poor conditions, mutinied and took over a ritzy condominium in Makati City’s business district.
They accused the military leadership of selling weapons from the government arsenal to rebel groups as well as planning bombings in a bid to extend Mrs. Arroyo’s stay in power through martial law.
Last January, five army captains were arrested after demanding the resignation of Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita for alleged corruption.
Earlier, Mrs. Arroyo warned that her administration would quell any attempt to take over the government.
She rejected charges made by the political opposition that her administration was spreading the rumors as part of an alleged plot to postpone the upcoming elections to stop Poe’s presidential bid.
Mrs. Arroyo gave assurances that the elections will take place as scheduled.
Citing an unconfirmed military intelligence report, Poe’s camp also alleges the government has linked the opposition to moves to destabilize the government.
The military denied it suspected opposition involvement.
Sen. Teresa Oreta, an opposition lawmaker, said that proved that the government was making up the coup rumors to justify its purported plan to cancel the elections.
"The military is now trying to wash its hands by claiming that it remains apolitical and non-partisan," Oreta said in a statement.
Bunye earlier said Malacañang believes that "there are indeed certain destabilization plans in the air" against the government but refused to name those involved.
"While we believe that there are indeed certain destabilization plans in the air, the administration is handling this with an utmost sense of responsibility," he said.
Bunye insisted that the government is "not engaged in a witch hunt or random finger pointing" or the "manufacture" of "black propaganda." — With AFP report