Ramos says “destabilizers” now have no capability to succeed

By Ronron
September 23, 2007

Former Philippine leader Fidel Ramos on Sunday belittled talks about alleged destabilization plots against the Arroyo administration, saying they have no capability to succeed.

In a news conference at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Medical Center in Quezon City, the former President said the destabilization exposed recently by AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. merely indicates “intention and indications” and does not reflect any hint of success.

“As far as I’m concerned, there may be some intentions and some indications but there is no capability by anyone because you must be able to mount big forces behind you,” Ramos, a former military chief, said.

He said the indication is that the alleged military personnel have tried to go against the chain of command, which, according to him, “does not mean that there is already a destabilization plot or conspiracy.”

In an interview last Friday, Esperon disclosed that at least six military personnel from the junior officer and enlisted personnel levels were caught actively recruiting fellow soldiers to join destabilization efforts against the government. Thus, within the last week, they were either reassigned or put on hold from any assignment.

But Ramos has questions about the capability of the involved personnel: “Can they move big forces without being detected? Do they have the support of a civilian component that is sizeable? Do they have finances and logistics to carry on beyond one or two days?”

The former leader said that previous coup attempts during his time as military chief under President Corazon Aquino’s incumbency failed because “they equated capability, which is the ability to make it succeed, through indications and intentions.”

Asked if he knows of any civilian component to the current destabilization talks, Ramos replied in the negative. “Now, where others are concerned, I don’t know,” he said.

Three Luzon-based commanders on Sunday maintained that their officers and men remain loyal to the present government, and vow to distance themselves from and quell any destabilization efforts coming from the military.

Northern Luzon command chief Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang said he has visited his troops from Regions 1, 2, 3 and the Cordilleras and got the assurance that they will “reject any recruitment, just like in the past, by destabilizers who are only interested in pursuing their selfish political agenda.”

“Our troops remain cohesive and focused on their mandated mission. They have already grown tired of any overtures or attempts that would drive a wedge within their ranks,” Maclang said.

“All of these have been clearly confirmed in my personal visits and dialogues with all the officers and men, both in the field and in the garrisons,” he added.

Maclang said he has directed his men “to be vigilant against any threat to our national security” as his “stand against any destabilization activity is firm and absolute.”

Brig. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, chief of the First Scout Rangers Regiment based in Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, echoed Maclang’s statement, adding that they have not monitored any recruitment activities within his command.

“We continue to talk to our men and have dialogue with them. On our part, we remain focused on our mission and the enhancement of our operational capabilities. We are united under the chain of command and we won’t be distracted with the developments,” Mapagu said.

It can be recalled that members of the Scout Rangers have been usual targets of recruitment activities for any destabilization plots, like the February 2006 incident.

The Special Forces, for their part, through its commander, Brig. Gen. Arturo Ortiz, also pledges anew to stick to the chain of command.

“We have not monitored any recruitment here and I don’t think they will make an attempt here because they know that recruiting the Special Forces is a waste of time. It is a fact that the Special Forces as a unit was never involved in any destabilization. We have remain professional,” Ortiz said.

Asked if he thinks Esperon disclosed the alleged destabilization plot just to divert the public’s attention from the National Broadband Network (NBN) project controversy hounding the Arroyo administration, Ramos replied: “I think he is just saying it sincerely because he is there.”

As a former military commander, Ramos said he thinks it is futile to manufacture alleged destabilization reports to divert the public’s attention from a controversial government issue because the media and the Senate will always dig into the alleged anomalous deal.

The Senate has started investigating last week in aid of legislation the controversial NBN project of the government. The son of House Speaker Jose de Venecia has accused Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos of accepting bribe money from ZTE Corporation, a Chinese firm, in exchange for getting to implement the NBN project. Abalos and ZTE have both denied the allegation. De Venecia’s son founded a company that hoped to get the NBN project but allegedly lost to ZTE./DMS