Aquino Orders Immediate Trial for Coup Plot Leaders

Philippine President Corazon Aquino on Sunday ordered the immediate trial of leaders of this month’s failed coup, branding them traitors who were paid “30 pieces of silver” to bring her down.

Aquino, speaking on a pre-recorded radio program, urged civilians to come forward with information that could help prosecute leaders of the Dec. 1-7 army revolt, in which more than 100 people were killed and nearly 600 wounded.

“I order Gen. (Renato) de Villa to immediately investigate their top leaders,” she said. “I also order military courts to hold a continuous trial, and I ask the people to attend the proceedings.”

De Villa, the country’s armed forces chief, said the military has captured 1,800 of about 3,000 mutineers who took part in the coup attempt, the sixth and bloodiest since Aquino came to power in 1986.

Aquino vowed to show no mercy to the mutineers’ leaders.

“Why did the rebel troops do that contemptible act? They did it . . . for 30 pieces of silver,” she said. “For the leaders of these rebel troops . . . our policy is to show them no mercy.”

Aquino did not say who paid the coup leaders. The military has said unnamed financiers paid some of the rebel officers $1.3 million to mutiny.

The president said the coup attempt was backed by politicians who “knew they had no chance in an election.” She did not identify them, but last week she hinted that her estranged vice president, Salvador Laurel, and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, a former defense chief, were involved. Both have denied any involvement.

Government troops moved into position around Manila and the southern city of Davao during the weekend to stop possible new attacks by army rebels. But De Villa ruled out the likelihood of a major new attack by the rebels, believed to be led by cashiered Col. Gregorio (Gringo) Honasan.

“If there is still any group planning to do this, I am warning them--the armed forces will be there to confront them and stop them and crush them,” he said.

De Villa said the military, on full alert in Manila, has strengthened its forces around the capital and will maintain its combat readiness throughout Christmas if necessary.

The general appealed to troops to support the government, saying army “adventurists” seeking to grab power would only deliver the country to communism.

“If the armed forces is destroyed by these few misguided elements . . . the nation will be pitiful because then the Communists will take over,” he said.

Meanwhile, De Villa ordered commanders to speed up a proposed consolidation of the armed forces to prevent “further misadventure from misguided elements.”