Philippines - Retired Arroyo general denies recruiting soldiers for coup

One of the retired generals closely identified with the Arroyo administration on Thursday dispelled rumors he was behind the recruitment of active military personnel for a coup to be launched against the Aquino administration.

“I am not recruiting or asking others to recruit for me,” said former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Hermogenes Esperon in an interview at Fort Bonifacio on the sidelines of the 115th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Army which he once headed as commanding general.

“I don’t know about reports linking me [to coup plots] but this much I can say: First of all, let’s take a look at whoever is saying that. Because I have noticed that whoever are saying a coup will happen are those who were involved in coups in the past,” Esperon said.

He said that, on the contrary, he was one of those in the military organization “who had been fighting attempts to destabilize the government since 1987.”

“I even became the commander of the counterintelligence unit of the Army in 1990 and 1991 and that was the force that was going after the coup plotters,” Esperon said.

“When I became chief of staff, or even as army commander, I truly disliked any action taken outside of the chain of command and those who would air their grievances when such a mechanism existed,” he said.

Esperon said he had no reason to want to topple the Aquino administration.

“Why would I do that? Let us learn from the lessons of the past. Those who were courted in the active service by coup plotters were those whose careers were ruined,” he said.

“What I can only say is let us not destroy the armed forces by way of besmirching the retirees. It’s like they’re saying the armed forces is evil because it breeds coup plotters. Let us aim for an armed forces that is strong and credible,” he said.

DJ Yap

Philippine Daily Inquirer

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