Defense leadership still wary of political destabilizers this year

By Ronron
January 4, 2008

The Defense department is not letting down its guards against political destabilizers this year citing the lack of identification of those actually behind the November 29 alleged power grab plot in Makati City that was executed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo Friday morning that there is always a possibility for political groups to sow destabilization this year that is why the military continues to watch out for it.

“I believe it’s an assessment of our intelligence services,” Teodoro said when asked for his basis about the alleged destabilization threats.

In his speech during the traditional New Year’s Call on him by police and other allied agencies at Camp Crame also Friday morning, DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno said: “The people who seek to divide the country, to destabilize the nation are not sleeping. They are meeting. They are talking. They are planning a new year full of fireworks beyond January 1.”

However, when asked in an interview to elaborate on this, Puno sort of retracted by saying: “You know, there is this habit of people of always trying to stoke rumors of destabilization and coups and whatever. And even now, you hear more rumors again.”

“So while we know that there are such talks that are going around, we are not intimidated by such rumors because trust me, we will deal with them properly,” he continued.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. echoed Puno’s statement, saying that they have no “firmed up information” on the alleged destabilization threats for this year.

“We have not verified anything but we are on the lookout for this. And if they should do it again, I must tell you that the resolution will even be quicker this time,” Esperon told reporters in a separate interview at Camp Aguinaldo.

Esperon belittled any possible destabilization efforts by saying that destabilizers will not get any support from the military and the public in general, as what happened during the November 29 incident./DMS