6 Philippine MPs, ex-senator, military trio face coup charges
Six Philippine legislators and a former senator were indicted Monday on charges of allegedly conspiring with communist rebels and rightwing soldiers to topple President Gloria Arroyo, the justice department said yesterday.
Senior state prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco accused House of Representatives members Crispin Beltran, Teodoro Casino, Rafael Mariano, Liza Maza, Satur Ocampo, and Joel Virador of being communist guerrillas who had used their elective posts to destabilise the government.
He said the six plotted with ex-army colonel Gregorio Honasan, who served two terms in the senate after winning a presidential pardon for leading a series of failed coup attempts in the 1980s and two fugitive right-wing military rebels, as well as 40 unidentified leftists.
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