MANILA, 28 February 2006 — The Philippine administration yesterday widened its crackdown on the opponents of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo while a group of lawyers challenged her proclamation of emergency in court.
Charges of plotting a coup were filed against more than a dozen people Arroyo’s assurances that placing the nation under a state of emergency was merely a formality. Police filed non-bailable charges against former Sen. Gregorio Honasan, National Democratic Front (NDF) chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison, and lawmakers Crispin Beltran, Satur Ocampo, Rafael Mariano, Teodoro Casiño, Liza Maza and Joel Virador.
Also charged were 1st Lieutenants Lawrence San Juan and Patricio Bumidang Jr., and two other suspected rebel soldiers — 2nd Lieutenants Aldrin Baldonado and Angelbert Gay. Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao also placed the former commander of the police Special Action Force (SAF) and three of his men under “restrictive custody” in Camp Crame for their alleged involvement in a foiled plot to unseat Arroyo.
Lomibao identified those placed under house arrest as Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco, Superintendent Benjamin Magalong, and two others, identified only as Senior Inspector Paloma and Chief Inspector Dilag said to be “recruiting and encouraging” comrades to join anti-Arroyo rallies last Friday.
San Juan and Bumidang were two of the four alleged mutineers who escaped detention in January. San Juan was recaptured in February.
Charges were also filed against Christopher Belmonte, San Juan’s lawyer who was arrested with the rebel officer; and former rebel military leaders Jake Malajacan and Felix Turingan.
Owing to the large number of rebellion cases filed after the proclamation of emergency, the Department of Justice created a 12-member team to handle them. Chief state prosecutor Jovencito Zuño said he would head the panel, with Richard Anthony Fadullon, his deputy, as his co-chairman. The panel was expecting more cases to be filed by the police, Zuño said.
He said three prosecutors would be designated to coordinate with different law-enforcement agencies.
Arroyo appeared on television, a day after dozens of elite Marines briefly defied the emergency she ordered over a plot that allegedly included plans to kill her.
But the president, who survived an impeachment attempt last year over allegations of vote-rigging and graft, gave no sign of when emergency rule would be lifted. Instead, she revived an old pledge to improve the lot of the country’s demoralized military.
Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz said the government would assess later whether to end the state of emergency, which allows for arrests without warrants and an extension of detention without charge.
But he told reporters: “We are not letting our guard down.”
Tensions receded after Sunday’s five-hour standoff at a Manila military base, where about 100 Marines had put on a show of force and called for public support over the dismissal of their commander for his alleged links to the plot.
Schools were closed for the day but it was otherwise business as usual in the capital, with offices and shops open and no troops in the streets.
Financial markets were calmer after being spooked on Friday by the crisis. The peso ended up 0.5 percent on the day at 51.96 to the dollar and the main stock index recouped almost all of Friday’s 1 percent loss.
“Thank God the stock market went up by 19 points and the peso strengthened... maybe because of the right handling of the standoff in the Marines yesterday,” Arroyo said.
A lawyers’ coalition asked the Philippine Supreme Court to issue an injunction against the declaration of emergency.
The Alternative Law Groups Inc., representing 17 major lawyers’ organizations, said it must be “struck down and declared null and void” because it was unconstitutional and tantamount to the martial law imposed by dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The group said Arroyo was using the declaration to create “fear and quell legitimate protests.” The presidential palace, the lawyers said, “could not just go on a witch hunting spree and violate human rights and freedom of expression through a toothless edict.”
