3 Philippine Generals to Be Relieved of Duty for Coup Roles

Philippine military officials said Saturday that three brigadier generals and at least 12 middle-grade officers will be relieved of their duties for joining the coup attempt that finally ended after eight days, leaving at least 83 dead and more than 580 wounded.

Rebel soldiers Saturday surrendered their last stronghold and ended their revolt, the sixth and bloodiest attempt to oust President Corazon Aquino.

About 400 troops had held the Mactan Air Base at Cebu, 350 miles south of Manila, since the coup attempt began Dec. 1.

“Mactan airport in Cebu is now back to normal operations after the rebel group surrendered to government troops . . . this morning,” Aquino said in a statement.

‘This is good news for our people who have overwhelmingly demonstrated their abhorrence for the violence espoused by the mutineers,” she said, referring to Friday’s demonstration in Manila in support of her government.

Most of the rebel soldiers who had held the base began leaving for Mindanao Island, where they came from. The rest marched back to their barracks inside the base, witnesses said.

Another rebel group holding out in Manila’s financial district had surrendered Thursday.

Brig. Gen. Renato Palma, government regional military chief, refused to give details of surrender terms but said he will recommend that no charges be brought against the rebel soldiers in Cebu.

“Here in Mactan, not a single shot was fired, so they have not caused anything . . . that will call for serious repercussion,” he said. “I think that is a very good mitigating circumstance.”

Participants in past coups received little or no punishment.