Destab is meant to derail Arroyo’s plunder cases
My exclusive
By Raissa Robles
Navy Colonel Generoso Mariano, who called for President Benigno Aquino’s ouster in a video, met with people associated with former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, according to Presidential Communications Strategy Secretary Ricky Carandang.

Marine colonel Generoso Mariano calls on military to mount a coup against President Benigno Aquino
Ordinarily, I try not to disturb sources on Sundays but yesterday I felt justified in calling Secretary Carandang to find out what he thought about this “creeping coup”. [My hubby Alan called it that and I think he’s right.] Besides, I was beating a deadline for my newspaper South China Morning Post (HK).
I asked Carandang what Mariano’s video was all about and what could have possibly prompted it.
Carandang did not mince words. He told me:
Forces sympathetic or associated with the former president have been trying to agitate the military for a while and are expected to keep trying as the noose tightens around Arroyo’s neck.
Carandang also told me that before the video – stamped with the date July 3 – was uploaded onto the internet, Naval Reserve Command deputy commander Generoso Mariano “went to a meeting organized or supported by elements associated with the former president.”
He also said the destabilization move was “not unexpected.”
Personally, I’m not surprised by this turn of events. I had been expecting it sooner than later because of what a very close friend of mine, who has dealt personally with ex-President Arroyo, told me last year.
My friend told me that Arroyo will stop at nothing to escape being brought to court. And that would include fleeing the country to a place with no extradition treaty with Manila and military destabilization.
We mustn’t forget that Arroyo herself has been on both sides of this political play. She has been the object of military coups. But at the same time, the Edsa 2 ouster of President Joseph Estrada turned out to be part of a long-term plot by the Arroyo camp to unseat Estrada and replace him with then Vice-President Arroyo.
Recall that active military generals like Edgardo Espinosa were actively plotting against Estrada and talking directly with VP Arroyo.
President Aquino is no babes in the woods either when it comes to coup attempts. Recall that he nearly died during one such coup attempt. During Arroyo’s time, Aquino accompanied his mother Corazon to Fort Bonifacio when marine colonel Ariel Querubin called for “people power”.
I was told (not by Carandang but by someone else inside the Aquino camp) that PNoy had appointed early on an “Arroyo minder” – one who keeps close watch on the movements of ex-President Arroyo, her relatives and political allies.
Of course, the best deterrent to such destabilization efforts is good governance and solid accomplishments in the reduction of poverty, crime and prices of basic goods.
beng grande says
please ” eat ” all what you said in this article…
raissa says
No, thank you.
leo says
Shame on Mariano, he should be court martialled for inciting seition and rebellion. As a military man, his obedience is to his commander-in-chief.
Inciting to sedition is the act of trying to cause unrest. It is to encourage people to rebel against a established or governing body. This is far from exercising your right to freedom of speech. For example, when you falsify facts to entice unrest, this is inciting to sedition.
Primer Pagunuran says
Good or bad, many ‘things’ start at the Navy. Wonder why?
gwenlady2010 says
sigurado ba kayo na talagang ke pgma yan? baka pakana rin naman ng Pnoy Admin yan. lam yu naman pag nasa poder na madali na lang gumawa ng mga pakana para mapagtakpan ang walang malinaw na programa.. sabi nga eh “NOBODY HOME”
CESAR ARELLANO says
AYAW KUNG SUMACOT SA MGA GAGONG COMMENT GAYA NG GWENLADY 2010 CANNOT EVEN REVEAL HER TRUE NAME, P-NOY DOES NOT MAKE INUENDOS. HINDI TANGGA ANG MGA TAO NI NOYNOY NAMANMANAN KAYONG MGA HAYOP NA TAUHAN NI GLORIA, AYAN NA NGA ANG HINALA KO MAAGA PA, UTAK NI ERMITA AT MGA UTUSAN YAN.
yer says
ang lakas naman ng loob na nagbabayad daw ng tax cla…jejejeje teka medyo linawin nga ntin ng panahon ni gloria ay global crisis, ang mlalaking bansa ay bumagsak, dhil s economist c gloria ay hnde ntin masyadong nramdaman ang hirap kc yun ang expertize niya, pero ngayon c abnoy alang gnawa kundi magpapogi s totoo lng at yan ay legal kng gusto niyang umasenso ang pinas ay magfocus cya s pag experement kng paano mbigyan ng maayos n trabaho ang mhihirap, eh myabang sa totoo lng ang mga pinoy mhirap n mtaas pa ang pride ala tyong yaman d2 s pinas ala tyong mina ng langis kya dpat eh wag masyadong exaggerated ang mga nakaupo sa gobyerno kc example mraming tao ang nag aabroad pero konting kaguluhan eh bnibigyan agad nila ng travel ban, eh gnun din nman ang mga nkaupo s gobyerno legal n pumasok s banyagang bansa oh hinde eh ala nman clang pkialam buntot mo hila mo din kya wag masyadong magyabang ang mga pinoy n nkaupo s pwesto…pyagan nila n mag abroad kesa maghirap d2 s alang kwentang political crisis d2 s pinas…cla hnde affected kc myayaman cla pero yng affected d2 eh yng mga taong gustong kumita khit papaano…HOY MAGSIGISING KYO DYAN WAG MYBANG
Koko says
GMA have as much to answer for the Maguindanao carnage, this late video uploads by a robotic military marine officer reading from a prepared text looked more like an Al Qaedah captive reading from a prepared statement before beheading. GMA in all the ballyhoo of huge funds absconded, stolen votes shaded off from the real winner FPJ horribly pale in comparison to her infractions in the Maguindanao carnage.
His military commanders on television says of acknowledgment of heavy weapons seized after the massacre incident believed owned by the Ampatuans, as a necessary effort by the government to neutralize Muslim rebels. Therefore political power and large amounts of money were farmed out to also maintain GMA’s party hold not only on the Maguindanao province but ARMM itself, reason notwithstanding why Zaldy Ampatuan became ARMM governor and the only one elected twice, yet unprecedented.
Zaldy Ampatuan can be made witness to any war crime investigations by the UN, his testimony will uncover valuable inputs with which to indict GMA as principal to the Maguindanao killings, therefore a war criminal.
yer says
dapat tlagang plitan ang presidente na yan kc ala nman gnagawang mabuti puro pagbusisi s mga nkaraan eh ang problema ntin eh kahirapan ala cyang solution s kahirapan, puro papogi dpat yan hnde nging pangulo kc mukhang abnoy lng cya s kanyang pwesto…ibagsak yang pangulo..hnde cya pangulo kundi PANGGULO s lipunan…
raissa says
At c Arroyo merong solusyon sa kahirapan?
gwenlady2010 says
MERON. ALAM MO BA UNG “MATATAG NA REPUBLIKA” – BEAT THE ODDS! si pnoy asan ung MATUWID NA LANDAS?
betina0921 says
It took Arroyo 9 years to prove that “Matatag na Republika” and some people are asking for “Matuwid na Landas” for just a year.
Rallie F. Cruz says
You should know that one of the few ways to move on in to our economic recovery is to find those who are guilty of plunders and made them return millions of their loot which they have not totally taken out of the country yet.
Pnoy may seem to be wasting his time looking for the criminals but the money we are talking about is not just something that can be hidden in the back pocket but more than enough to alleviate some sectors of the victim of poverty and could give the country a boost to economic growth.
I suggest we should be very careful of our allegations about Papogi points of Pnoy since plunders after plunders have remained unsolved in the past decades maybe because of the attitude of people like you.
Luwi Cheng says
is gloria arroyo the only one who would have the motive to destabilize this non-working government? carandang is probably the last person to understand what is going on with the government as he is too busy with papogi schemes. what he knows are tsismis, showbiz tsismis fed by his former employers. there are already a lot of disgruntled segments of the society that are impatient with the non-performance of bs aquino. point the finger to the obvious is certainly not being clever nor perceptive.
concerned taxpayer says
how dare that col generoso mariano… tahimik siya noong panahon ni gloria kasi malaki pakinabang nya… kawawa ka naman col mariano hanggang ngayon hinihimod mo pa rin puwit ni arroyo para lang magpagamit dahil makukulong na si arroyo. imbestigahan din lifestyle at ari arian yan baka pinakain din ng pera ni arroyo… yung kahirapan col mariano panahon pa ni limahong yan pero lalong pinahirap ng amo mo na si arroyo dahil yung ibinayad namin na tax sinimot ni arroyo sa loob ng 9 na taon at kasama ka sa nakinabang col mariano… dapat sa mga naging tuta ni arroyo ipakulong.
Evangeline Eriksson says
Colonel Mariano, I think is very involved himself in the corruption that is why he wanted the President removed right away before the trials could be made on GMA. I strongly feel that way.
Norman Sison says
I thought so. Take away Generoso’s pension and send him to the brig.