SOLON TO GMA: WATCH YOU BACK

            President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should now watch her back especially from the Council of Philippine Affairs (COPA), the group which is claiming responsibility for the EDSA II “people power revolt” that propelled her to the presidency.

                House Assistant Minority Floor Leader Gilbert Remulla today made this warning following reports that COPA, through their so-called “Freedom Force,” is brewing a plot to oust the president and establish what is described as “collective leadership.”

                Remulla said Mrs. Arroyo appeared to have been a victim of an intricate diversionary tactic which led her to believe that the political opposition and groups loyal to former President Estrada are behind the alleged efforts to destabilize her government.

                But with the admission of  Cardinal Sin’s spokesman Bishop Socrates Villegas that key COPA figures have actually tried to convince the cardinal to support a move to topple the Arroyo government, Remulla said it becomes clearer that threats  of another power grab is coming “right  from her own backyard.”

                He observed that COPA Secretary General Pastor “Boy” Saycon has been peddling reports about alleged coup plots against the Arroyo administration by the political opposition and groups loyal to former President Estrada.

                “ I don’t want to draw any conclusion  but  it looks like the president was not looking at the right direction with regards to the alleged efforts to destabilize her government. This report on the Freedom Force plot should forewarn her to watch her back,” Remulla said.

                Remulla said he suspects that the coup reports coming from COPA  could be a tactic to camouflage their own plan to grab power.

                Based on his own revelation, leading COPA member and columnist Teodoro Benigno said  the “Freedom Force”   is  a movement that would trigger another “people power” which “ can save the Philippines from the bloviated communist revolution of the left and the dictatorship of the Armed Forces.”

                Benigno claimed that members of the COPA core group had discussed their plan to Cardinal Sin who reportedly expressed support for the “Freedom Force.”

                Although Cardinal Sin denied that he has declared support for the Freedom Force’s plot to unseat the president, Villages admitted that leading COPA members visited the cardinal to solicit his help.

                Those who reportedly went to see Cardinal Sin are  Saycon, Benigno, former Tarlac Rep. Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Chief Supt. Florencio Fianza and two others.