Philippines army officers to face court-martial over coup plot News
Philippines army officers to face court-martial over coup plot

[JURIST] The head of the Philippine army said Saturday that 15 army officers, including Brigadier-General Danilo Lim, commander of the Philippines' elite Scout Ranger regiment, will face courts-martial for violations of the military's Articles of War in conjunction with last month's alleged attempted coup [JURIST report]. Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo [official website; JURIST news archive] declared a state of national emergency [Proclamation 1017 text] permitting the investigation of the alleged coup plotters. The declaration was lifted [JURIST report] a week later on March 3.

Lim, a West Point graduate, has been under house arrest since February 24, though he has denied responsibility. Following the discovery of the "Oplan Hackle" plot in January, the government has reportedly investigated 59 officers and 37 soldiers in connection with the attempted coup. There have been at least a dozen coup attempts in the Philippines since 1986. Reuters has more.

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