Gov’t to probe Trillanes for linking GMA aides to blast

10/21/2007

Government authorities yesterday said they would investigate detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a staunch critic of the Arroyo administration, over his claim that Malacañang had a hand in the bombing at the Glorietta 2 mall in Makati City on Friday.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, also the presidential adviser on political affairs, during a meeting at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters at Camp Crame in Quezon City, noted that the statements of the opposition lawmaker is serious and demand a strong evidence.

He said he has directed the police to interview Trillanes to find out if he has evidence to support his allegations that two of President Arroyo’s trusted security officials may be behind the explosion which killed nine persons and injured 119 others.

Trillanes, who is currently facing coup d’etat charges for leading a group of junior officers or the so-called

Magdalo soldiers in a short-lived mutiny in 2003, in a statement Friday, stressed the explosion is most likely another diversionary tactic of the Palace amid controversies rocking the Arroyo administration.

He tagged National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. as possibly being behind the incident.

According to him, the incident was similar to “Oplan Greenbase” which reportedly included in its plan the bombing of the Davao international airport and the Sasa wharf in 2003.

“It very looks like a repeat of Oplan Greenbase, perpetrated by the administration in 2003 in Mindanao, where a series of bombings rocked the island, killing innocent people and destroying property. Those bombings remain unexplained to this day,” Trillanes stressed.

But Puno slammed the senator for linking the government in the Makati incident.

“In politics there is a fair game and unfair game. The tragedy befalls people like this is not a fair game. So I would appeal to our political opposition to please exclude this tragedy from their laundry list of issues that they are going to use against the administration. We hope this unfortunate tragedy would not be exploited for their personal gain,” he said.

PNP chief Director General Avelino Razon said he hopes Trillanes was not playing politics.

“I think this is a serious matter. Accusation like those should be investigated so that we will get into the bottom of all these things. Let’s not play around with the people’s lives here. It should be investigated,” he added.

Mrs. Arroyo, for her part, urged Filipinos not to listen to her political detractors who are blaming her for the incident.

She also appealed for their sobriety and unity with her administration.

Gonzales, during a radio interview, denied they were behind the explosion, saying they “would not do such a thing, to sacrifice lives of innocent civilians.”

He called on the opposition to put aside politics and unite amid the tragic incident.

“They (opposition) could easily point a finger to the administration as the culprit behind the tragic incident but we would not do the same to those critics of this government. We’re appealing to them let’s set aside political issues at this time. Although we have differences in political opinion this should not lead to a sacrifice of the lives of our innocent civilians. Our people had been suffering too much because of politicking we would not go to that extent (of masterminding bombing incidents,” the NSA chief stressed.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo will call an expanded national security council meeting that will include former President Fidel Ramos, Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Senate President Manuel Villar. in Malacañang on Tuesday.

Sherwin C. Olaes

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