Enrile Arrested in Manila Coup Bid : Philippines: Military dissidents see move against former defense minister as harbinger of martial law.

MANILA —  Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, the former defense minister who played a key role in Corazon Aquino’s presidential victory, was arrested today for allegedly supporting last year’s bid to topple her.

The opposition denounced the arrest as an attempt to quash dissent, and military dissidents claimed that the move was a prelude to martial law.

Enrile, one of Aquino’s most vocal critics, was among seven people indicted for “rebellion with murder” in connection with the bloody Dec. 1-9 coup attempt, in which at least 113 people were killed and more than 600 injured.

“What we are witnessing today is the effective operation of our criminal justice system under a constitutional democracy,” said presidential Press Secretary Tomas Gomez. He said the 160,000-member armed forces went on the alert to prevent “reprisals” after Enrile’s arrest.

Later today, a spokesman for military dissidents who launched the December coup attempt said the Philippines “should brace itself for the imminent declaration of martial law.”

Enrile surrendered outside the Senate chamber to agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, who served him with an arrest warrant also charging him with harboring fugitives.

He was taken to bureau headquarters where he was booked and fingerprinted. He told reporters that he will ask the Supreme Court for bail, although none is usually allowed for the rebellion with murder charge.

Before surrendering, Enrile said: “I know that those who are accusing me will surely have their day, as I have my day today.”

The others indicted today were former Lt. Col. Gregorio (Gringo) Honasan, Cagayan provincial Gov. Rodolfo Aguinaldo, retired Brig. Gen. Felix Brawner, retired Lt. Col. Billy Bibit, businessman Rebecco Panlilio and his wife.

Enrile was the best-known figure charged so far in the failed coup, the sixth and bloodiest attempt to unseat Aquino since she took office in the 1986 uprising that toppled the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos.

Enrile led the February, 1986, military mutiny that triggered the “people power” uprising Aquino rode to power. But she fired him as defense minister in November of that year after a failed coup by his followers.

Charges against Enrile stem from statements by witnesses who claimed that they saw Honasan and about 100 rebels at the senator’s home on the first day of the coup attempt. Enrile claims that he has not seen Honasan since 1987.

Hours after his indictment was announced, Enrile appeared at the Senate and in a speech to his colleagues said: “The regime of President Corazon C. Aquino has marshaled all its forces in fabricating charges against me in order to silence the voice of the opposition in this chamber.”

“As I leave you today, I pledge to you that no jail or prison shall stop me from trying my best to voice the grievances of the Filipino people,” he added. Supporters of the failed coup have charged the Aquino government with mismanagement and corruption.