Opposition lawyer, 4 others accused of plotting a coup against the Philippine president

The Associated Press , Manila | Thu, 07/03/2008 8:28 PM | World

Philippine police filed criminal complaints Thursday against an opposition lawyer, three retired colonels and a former police officer for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

National Police Director General Avelino Razon said authorities were taking seriously the allegations that the five, led by prominent opposition lawyer Homobono Adaza, had planned to
oust the president and tried to extort money from a Japanese businessman to finance the coup.

Adaza vehemently denied the allegations.

"How could I stage a coup? There is not a single soldier that I have. All these people are retired colonels," he told reporters.

An additional criminal complaint of harboring a criminal was filed against Adaza because the former police officer who was also arrested was wanted in connection with a 2001 murder.

State prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco said he would investigate the complaints and decide whether to charge the five men in a court with proposing to commit coup d'etat - a violation of the Philippine penal code.

Arroyo was not worried and her activities were not affected by the alleged plot, according to a government statement that also said the security alert level at the presidential palace remained
normal.

Velasco said Adaza and the retired officers were arrested Wednesday in a Manila shopping mall after another opposition lawyer, Raymond Fortun, accused them of trying to extort at least
US$4 million from his client, a Japanese businessman, to finance the ouster.

In a written statement to police, Fortun said his client Motonori Sakuma and other Japanese investors had been trying to gain management control of a resort in the central Philippine
province of Marinduque. He said the retired officers arrested with Adaza had threatened to kill two Filipino officers of the resort company and place the blame on Sakuma if he did not pay
up.

Fortun said he and his client refused Adaza's demand and reported the alleged extortion attempt to police because they feared for their safety.

"It was a proposal to commit a coup through extortion," Fortun told ABS-CBN network.

"The only way for me to be able to defend myself and not be a sitting duck for whatever plans that they have ... was to report the matter to the authorities," he said.

Defending Adaza, lawyer Argee Guevarra said his client denied he had been involved in any plot.

"Let me stress that after consulting with Homobono Adaza ... he brands such allegations as pure fabrication," Guevarra said

Guevarra said he was saddened that two opposition lawyers - both strongly critical of the president - might be involved in a conflict that could be used by Arroyo's government to launch a new crackdown on her critics.

Military chief Gen. Alexander Yano said e was surprised by the arrests. Just last month, Yano declared that the days of coup plots in the Philippines were over after the capture of several
renegade military officers.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said he knew of no new coup plots and if there was one, it would have no chance of succeeding. "There is no plot within the armed forces," Teodoro
told reporters.

Asked to assess the chances of a power grab, he replied: "Zero. I can confidently say no destabilization move will succeed."

Arroyo has survived four attempted power grabs and three opposition impeachment attempts in her turbulent seven and a half years in power.(**)

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