Army wants coup plotters kept together

Manila: The Armed Forces of the Philippines is mulling the idea of placing all 28 Army and Marine officers charged in connection with the botched February 28 coup in a single detention facility.

In an interview, Armed Forces chief Gen Hermogenes Esperon Jr said having all accused in one detention centre will make their interrogation and court martial convenient.

"We are looking into that possibility [consolidating the accused in one detention facility] so it would not be too far for the Marine officers," Esperon said.

At present, the 28 accused officers, facing charges of mutiny among other offences, are housed in four separate detention facilities: Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal in eastern Manila, the Army and Naval headquarters in Fort Bonifacio in suburban Taguig City, and at Fort San Felipe in Cavite, southern Luzon.

The accused are headed by former Marine commandant Maj Gen Renato Miranda, former Army First Scout Ranger Regiment commander Brig Gen Danilo Lim and Marine Col Ariel Querubin who were tagged as the brains behind an alleged mutiny in February.

They are being charged with plotting a coup against the Arroyo administration when various groups and members of the political opposition staged a massive protest during the 20th anniversary of the first people power at the EDSA Shrine in suburban Mandaluyong City.