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Arroyo has loyalty of Philippine military
The Philippine military renewed its pledge of loyalty to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Monday amid fresh coup rumors fueled by allegations that she rigged last year's elections. The pledge came as the state-run University of the Philippines' prestigious College of Law joined the growing list of those calling for Arroyo's resignation after a prominent Roman Catholic university made a similar call a day earlier. With the latest crisis, Arroyo has faced almost daily opposition protests calling for her resignation, but they haven't matched the huge rallies that toppled late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada in 2001. The military's withdrawal of support from the former leaders was crucial to their downfall.
Billy Bibit, a former local police officer detained after a failed 1989 coup, claimed a group of young officers planned to replace Arroyo with a civilian-led caretaker government that would restore political and economic order. Bibit said the officers, mostly captains and majors, believe Arroyo has lost moral authority after she was tainted by accusations of cheating in the May 2004 election. Bibit's claim echoed similar statements made by retired Gen. Fortunato Abat, the former defense secretary, who said Friday that Arroyo would be replaced by a 15-member "council of leaders" if she refused to step down. Abat said he had followers among government officials and members of the powerful military, which has so far backed Arroyo. His claims could not be verified. Military spokesman Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual said the military "will remain apolitical and never allow any group or personality to use the (armed forces) to advance any political and personal interest." Pascual said the 115,000-strong military adheres to the chain of command, headed by Arroyo, who is the constitutional commander in chief. Allegations against Arroyo intensified last month with the disclosure of recordings of phone conversations in which the president allegedly sought an assurance from an election commissioner that she would win by more than a million votes. Arroyo has apologized for talking to the official, but denied influencing the election outcome. The scandal has upset financial markets and set off coup rumors and calls for her removal, mainly by the opposition, left-wing groups and a cluster of ex-generals. "Resignation is the best apology she can offer the Filipino people," the College of Law said in a statement Monday. The college said Arroyo's actions violated a constitutional provision guaranteeing the Commission on Elections' independence. De La Salle University, a prominent Roman Catholic university, made a similar call Sunday. Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye insists Arroyo did not violate any law and said calls for her to step down did not reflect the sentiment of most Filipinos.
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