Renegade Officer Vows to Keep Up Campaign to Bring Down Aquino

The fugitive leader of mutinous soldiers announced Sunday a new campaign to “steadily wear down” President Corazon Aquino’s government after last week’s short-lived rebellion in the southern Philippines.

The statement by renegade army Col. Gregorio (Gringo) Honasan was issued to news agencies hours after bombs exploded outside two government buildings in Manila.

Officials said mutinous soldiers were trying to strike back after the defeat of army Col. Alexander Noble, who led a 48-hour rebellion in Butuan and Cagayan de Oro, two cities on Mindanao Island, 500 miles south of Manila. Noble surrendered after his expected support from disgruntled military personnel did not materialize.

Honasan, who led a Dec. 1-9 coup that nearly toppled Aquino, said rebel soldiers will continue with Phase II of their plan to oust the president, who has crushed six earlier coup attempts.

“Our movement for a better Philippines will persist in steadily wearing down the (Aquino government) like the irrational bull in the arena, before we deliver the coup de grace ,” Honasan said.

He did not give details of the rebel plans, but defense and military officials said they expect more terrorist bombings in the capital, which has been rocked by 40 other explosions in the last two months. The blasts have been blamed on rebel soldiers.

Armed forces Col. Juanito Rimando said Sunday that three rebel soldiers were killed Friday when government planes bombed the Butuan garrison that Noble had seized. The bodies were found Saturday, he said.

A government pilot was also killed in the Mindanao revolt when his plane crashed on returning to base from a reconnaissance mission.