Manila: A police chief and an information military officer have revealed the extent of a failed coup that right and left wing rebels, and their political patrons plotted against President Gloria Arroyo.

Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao told members of the Manila Overseas Press Club late on Tuesday night that he was supposed to be held hostage by the coup plotters.

"The coup plot was to be launched on January 14, by members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force who would take me as a hostage and force me to withdraw my support for President Arroyo," Lomibao said.

"The hostage plan was to be implemented on different police and military units," said Lomibao.

The plot included the seizure of Camp Crame, the police headquarters, and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in suburban Pasay City. The coup attempts on January 14 and February 18 were trashed, said Lomibao, adding a third attempt, code-named Final Talk 2, prompted Arroyo to declare a state of national emergency last Friday.

The failed coup was to be launched on February 25, during the 20th anniversary of the fall of dictator Ferdinand Marcos at EDSA, a major thoroughfare.

"The armed troops in uniform would join an estimated 80,000 protesters, and announce their withdrawal of support for the government.

"Then they would march on to Malacanang, the presidential palace," Lomibao said.

Documents seized from Lt Lawrence San Juan showed that ultra-rightist groups and the leftist underground movement have forged a tactical alliance to overthrow Arroyo, said AFP Public Information chief, Col Tristan Kison.

Mutiny

San Juan was with young officers who staged a mutiny by taking over a posh hotel in 2003. He belonged to a group of restive solders who call themselves "Magdalo".

"The political alliance gave birth to Oplan Final Talk 2," said Kison, adding it served as a memorandum of understanding between members of the Magdalo, the Young Officers Union New Generation (YOUng), and the 36-year old Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New People's Army (CPP-NPA).

With inputs by Raffy Jimenez correspondent

warrant

Ex-senator faces

plot charges

A Philippine court yesterday issued an arrest warrant for ex-senator Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, who is facing charges over an alleged plot to overthrow President Gloria Arroyo.

Honasan, a charismatic former army colonel, is among 16 people facing charges over the plot, which led Arroyo last Friday to declare a state of emergency.

The warrant covers last week's alleged plot as well as Honasan's alleged involvement in a failed 2003 uprising, when about 300 junior officers and their men took over a luxury apartment-hotel in Manila's Makati financial centre.

AFP