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Fresh destab plot vs gov't behind media ‘warning’


(Updated 12:40 p.m.) A destabilization attempt purportedly scheduled for January 22 prompted the Justice department to issue a “reminder" to media outlets to follow government orders during police and military operations in emergency situations. This, as it warned destabilizers not to take government preparations against such movements "lightly." Justice Sec. Raul Gonzalez made this claim Saturday as he said he was not surprised over the flak he got for what he insisted was an “innocent" reminder he issued Friday. “I understand that on January 22 there will be a mass action that will take place to oust the GMA movement... We are just preparing for the possibility that some sort of what happened at the Manila Pen or Oakwood may take place again," Gonzalez said in an interview on dwIZ radio. When asked if it was another destabilization attempt, he said: “Yes." Gonzalez said it was the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) that reported the supposed mass action. Gonzalez added that Interior Sec. Ronaldo Puno, National Police chief Dir. Gen. Avelino Razon Jr, and Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr had warned earlier this month of destabilization moves being hatched against the adminsitration. He did not say who was behind the supposed January 22 plot. Notably, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and leaders of the November 29 standoff had been recently placed under heavy guard. Gonzalez said the media "reminder" was issued only to avoid a repetition of what happened during the Makati City standoff November 29 last year where several journalists covering the incident were arrested, handcuffed and “processed" before being released. Gonzalez noted that his “reminder" was not new as it was already taken up during a meeting between media and government representatives after the November 29 incident. “Napagusapan na yan doon eh. Right now there are reports about some mass actions that might happen. That’s just a reminder. We cannot deny the fact if there is a legitimate military operation maaring may masaktan diyan, maaring may matatamaan diyan kung magkaroon ng serious encounter (We already discussed the matter. Right now there are reports of some mass actions that might happen, so what I issued was just a reminder. We cannot deny that if there is a legitimate operation that leads to a serious encounter, people may get hurt)," he said. “There will be collateral damage to persons and property. We’re trying to avoid that. If people don’t want to follow that, that is at their own risk, but government will also invoke the provision of the law opening charges of obstruction of justice," he added. Gonzalez also took a dig at media groups such as the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines and the National Press Club, which criticized the “reminder" as harassment and an attempt to regulate media. “That’s the problem, we always exaggerate something the government wants to do, we exaggerate it immediately. Ang motive di nariyan binibigyan ng kahulungan ng iba (They are putting color and motive where there is none)," he said. “I know when I issued it there will be a fallout, that’s part of the risks we take to remind people of their own responsibilities and that’s just about that," he added. Also, Gonzalez said the government does not want to be caught in another no-win situation like the November 29 incident. He said that during the standoff, the government appealed to media outlets hours before the police forcibly entered the hotel. But when the raid was over and some media workers were taken in for processing, the entire media and the opposition were up in arms against government, he said. “So it’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t. Walang kalaban-laban ang gobyerno palagi (The government always ends up on the losing end of the deal)," he said. In a separate radio interview, Gonzalez warned the brains behind a supposed plan to topple the government on January 22 not to belittle the Arroyo government’s staying power. “We should warn these people who cause destabilization that they should not belittle the tenacity of the government to defend the constitutional authority. Mahirap yung we are beiong taken for granted (It’s hard to take us for granted)," he said on government-run dzRB radio. He reiterated that while the government is in “full control," it will always have to be “prepared" for any eventuality. Gonzalez did not elaborate on the supposed destabilization plot but noted the heads of the police and military already hinted at a brewing plot last week. - GMANews.TV