A documentary on the events leading to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of a state of national emergency last Feb. 24 proved beyond doubt the existence of a conspiracy among Leftist, Rightist and hardcore political opportunists to overthrow the government, Press Secretary and Presidential Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said.

In his newspaper column, The View From the Palace that comes out tomorrow (Monday, March 6), Bunye said the anti-government plot was timed to coincide with the celebration of the 20^th anniversary of EDSA1 last month.

Had President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo not acted swiftly to foil the anti-government conspiracy by issuing Proclamation 1017, "we would in all probability find ourselves now under the clutches of a civilian-rightist-leftist junta which would soon be fighting among themselves for supremacy," Bunye said

Shown over the National Broadcasting Network (NBN), Radio Philippines Network (RPN) 9 and Intercontinental Broadcasting Corp. (IBC) 13, the 12.5-minute documentary detailed a plot among elements from the Left, Right and the political opposition to unseat the President.

"AFP Chief Generoso Senga, in a documentary shown over NBN 4, RPN 9 and IBC 13 over the weekend, proved beyond doubt the existence of an intricate web of conspiracy among extremists from the Left, Right and hardcore political opportunists to topple the government," Bunye said.

In the documentary, Senga and Army Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon related how the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CCP-NPA) and the Magdalo group plotted to oust the President.

Some of the documentary materials were seized from renegade Lt. Lawrence San Juan who was captured by military and police operatives last Feb. 22 in Padre Garcia, Batangas after his alleged meeting with members of the NPA.

A member of the Magdalo group, San Juan escaped from his military escorts while he and other Magdalo soldiers were being taken back to camp after attending a hearing on the charges filed against them arising from the failed Oakwood mutiny against the government in July 2003.

The President lifted her declaration of a state of national emergency last Friday (March 3) upon the recommendation of her security advisers -- Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and Philippine National Police Chief Director General Arturo Lomibao.

The three-man security team assured the President that the threats to national security had subsided, although the military and the PNP would remain vigilant against any attempt to disrupt the country’s security.

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