Old faces, old tactics resurface in new coup attempt in Philippines

A group of rebel soldiers take position outside the Rustan's department store in the suburban financial district of Makati early on Sunday. A group of young officers accused President Gloria Arroyo's government of terrorism and corruption. Rebels planted explosives around the area where a hotel and a high rise apartment and commercial centers are located. Photo: AFP

Once again young officers, insisting they only want reforms, have taken arms against the government of a female president, accusing the administration of corruption and colluding with insurgent groups.

This time a group of up to 200 rebels are demanding that the administration of President Gloria Arroyo be replaced with a "National Recovery Program."

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The "program" was apparently the platform of Senator Gregorio Honasan, a former army colonel who led most of the bloody coup attempts in the 1980s.

Rebel soldiers openly distributed copies of the program with Honasan's name on it to journalists. The program has vague statements on fighting crime, corruption and terrorism, cleaning up the judiciary and reviewing the country's trade commitments.

Honasan was pardoned as part of a peace deal after which he entered politics. He has admitted advising the young officers but has denied that he is involved in the power grab, insisting he was not responsible for the mutineers adopting his platform.

However Interior Secretary Jose Lina said: "We have very clear and strong intelligence reports that his involvement in this is deep so we are readying charges."