FROM all indications, the violent confrontation that took place in the late afternoon og Sept. 21 between a bunch of youthful hooligans and a battalion of anti-riot police could be a spontaneous eruption of vandalism and anarchy. But this was not just vandalism or anarchy, according to Manuel Mogato, a Filipino journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for his works on the destructive war on drugs of Gongdi.
Ask Mogato and he would say it was a failed coup. It was a failed attempt to kick BBM out of power and install Misfit Sara in his stead. “It was an alleged coup [that] was supposed to occur on the day of the Trillion March against corruption, but it ultimately fell apart before it could take place,” he said in a dispatch that was posted in social media.
Mogato said: “The narrative suggests that allegedly, a leader of a prominent religious faction was in direct communication with an alleged active general in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). This alleged religious leader sought a meeting with the alleged general to discuss the urgent need to withdraw support for the current administration, citing rampant corruption within the House [of Representatives] and Senate, particularly related to the flood control project. This situation merely highlights the larger issues at hand.”
He continued; “To gain the general’s support, the religious leader proposed to mobilize his followers to Luneta and other designated areas. At the same time, the officer’s soldiers would withdraw their support, but insisted that the general replace the sitting President with the VP and advocated for actions that would fall outside constitutional boundaries. However, the alleged officer firmly declined, recognizing that the U.S. would not support a president friendly to China and would oppose unconstitutional maneuvers. Consequently, the coup never materialized, despite the officer’s desire for a 30-member revolutionary government composed of church leaders, representatives from the private sector, and other credible individuals. The alleged religious leader’s primary focus remained on installing the VP as the President’s successor.”
On Misfit Sara’s participation and eventual assumption of the presidency, Mogato said: “As events unfolded, the VP was reportedly in Japan, possibly anticipating the coup’s success to position herself as the successor. In stark contrast, the President made the notable decision to forgo an essential [United Nations] event to stay informed about the intelligence he might have received regarding the coup.”
He continued: “Supporters of VP even boasted about an upcoming ‘changing of the guards,’ with one lawyer and his associates inciting unrest and probably funding the riot, burning and looting near Malacañang. The coordination among these individuals was evident, as they arrived equipped with some logistics, including one-piece flags and Molotov cocktails — contrary to the lawyer’s claims of bringing lighters to light candles. Reports confirm that multiple individuals, including minors, were apprehended at the scene.
“Whether or not this coup was a genuine threat, it is clear that if left unaddressed, similar actions could occur in the coming months. Recognizing the looming instability, the President has already taken steps by signing an increase in soldiers’ salaries.”
For its part, the Armed Forces vehemently denied Mogato’s report on the failed coup. AFP Public Affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad denied in a statement there were plans to unseat BBM and install Misfit Sara, rejecting what he termed “malicious narratives about plans to unseat the President.”
“These claims are baseless, unfounded, and far removed from reality,” Trinidad said, adding that the AFP remains “a professional and disciplined force, with the chain of command intact and united.”
The youthful hooligans came mostly from a political rally at Liwasang Bonifacio, where scores of supporters of Gongdi and Misfit Sara gathered to coincide with the protest actions of the Trillion Peso March in Luneta and People Power Monument in EDSA. They marched to the foot of Mendila, shouting slogans supporting the Misfit.
At the foot of the Mendiola Bridge, they torched a contained van there, which the anti riot police put to prevent them from reaching Malacanang. They also barricaded the antiriot police and taunted them to trigger some isolated melees and skirmishes. Police adopted a maximum tolerance stance but the troubles the hooligans initiated escalated in the early evening to cause several riots.
The vandals destroyed and stole pieces of private property, prompting police to make arrests of at least 210 persons. Owners of several business establishments along CM Recto Avenue in Quiapo and Sampaloc districts openly complained othe hooliganism they started.
