IF ever a coup were staged against President Aquino, it will not be led by senior military commanders, and instead it will be spearheaded by junior officers.
This possibility was cropping up as military officers continue to meet and discuss issues, including the Development Acceleration Program (DAP) that has been recently declared by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.
In one of the meetings, the officers even talked about the possibility of a coup against the administration, including its pros and cons, and its possible support from senior commanders.
During the discussion, the officers agreed if a coup were initiated, its possibility of being led by the Armed Forces chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, or the other senior commanders, including the chiefs of the major service commands, is nil.
The reason is that all of them are appointees of President Aquino, the military’s commander in chief.
While Catapang has admitted that he is or had been a member of the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM), the group of idealist officers who led several military uprisings against former Presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino, he assured that a coup will not happen during his watch.
During the past two weeks, Catapang visited military camps and conferred with soldiers. During his visits, Catapang explained the DAP issue and prodded the soldiers to just do their job and remain unaffected by political issues.
Since the senior commanders could not be counted upon to lead the coup, the officers agreed that if and when such is initiated, it would have to come from the ranks of junior officers, who would also lead it.
But a grim scenario was also raised by the officers during the meeting: If it will be headed by junior officers, then what will befall the country after the coup, and even after its success, granting that it will?
Those who attended the meeting agreed that junior officers are not still fully capable of leading the country, thus they need a leader and a complete government agenda in the event that they win.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes, who a former coup plotter, has disclosed that some retired generals were reportedly behind the latest destabilization move against the government.
While he did not identify them, Trillanes said the retired generals served in a previous administrations, referring to the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
An analysis by the Intelligence Service, Armed Forces during the initial months of the Aquino administration predicted that Mr. Aquino will not finish his term or that his administration will face destabilization moves, just like the administration of his late mother.
The military said it has not monitored any move against the government, contrary to reports about its existence, including Trillanes’s disclosure.
“There is no monitored destabilization [move] among active members of the Armed Forces. There is no recruitment nor any move within the active service to do such,” said the Armed Forces Public Affairs Office chief, Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala.
“Once you join the Armed Forces, there are certain liberties that you surrendered... freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, however the retired personnel... they have regained that already since they are already retired so they may speak, they can attend rallies” he added.
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