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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, August 01, 2003

Philippine Senate opens probe hearing on mutiny

Philippine Senate Committee on National Defense and Security started Friday to probe the mutiny staged by some 300 young military officers and enlisted men here on Sunday.


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Philippine Senate Committee on National Defense and Security started Friday to probe the mutiny staged by some 300 young military officers and enlisted men here on Sunday.

Senate President Franklin Drilon said the probe is purely for legislation at the probe hearing, which is broadcast live on the ABS-CBN news channel.

Philippine opposition Senator Gregorio Honasan, who was accusedby Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina for having a hand in Sunday's mutiny, skipped the hearing after he told Drilon that he preferred not to confront his accusers to avoid speculations he was using the Senate investigation to his advantage.

Lina, who appeared at the Senate hearing together with Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, Ambassador Roy Cimatu, Armed Forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Narciso Abaya, among others, said he was convinced of Honasan's guilt and confirmed no arrest warrants has been issued against Honasan.

Just before the hearing began, Lina said the government is looking into intelligence reports that Philippine President GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo has been targeted for kidnapping or assassinationas part of a failed mutiny at Makati business district in Manila on Sunday.

Lina said in an interview with ABS-CBN news channel that "the assassination has been the subject of an intelligence report," with targets including Arroyo and some other figures.

But he said the plot was not yet confirmed, remarking "these are intelligence reports that have to be continuously validated, so as not to alarm the populace."

Almost 300 rebel soldiers occupied a condominium building at Makati business district, demanding the resignation of Arroyo and other top government and military officials for alleged corruptionbut surrendered after a 22-hour siege.

The government has said the mutiny was part of a coup plot to install a junta and has linked certain opposition figures to the incident.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez meanwhile affirmed that the government would not bring the ringleaders of the mutiny to a Senate investigative hearing on Friday because of security concerns they could be assassinated to silence them.

Arroyo and Abaya Thursday warned that the alleged coup plot "isfar from over," as other renegade soldiers and their suspected civilian backers remain at large.

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