Arroyo Sets Up Mutiny Inquiries

The Philippine president yesterday promised two independent inquiries in the wake of an unsuccessful mutiny 24 hours earlier by hundreds of junior soldiers, sparked by alleged rampant government corruption.

Delivering her hastily rewritten state of the nation address to congress, Gloria Arroyo said one inquiry would look into the mutineers' claim that the government had staged terrorist attacks to win sympathy in its war on terror and that the military was selling arms to insurgents in the southern islands.

The other investigation will examine who was behind a recent attack in Davao City, on the island of Mindanao.

Hours earlier the police arrested a cabinet minister in the government of Ms Arroyo's predecessor, Joseph Estrada, in connection with Sunday's seizure of an upmarket shopping centre and block of flats by 300 disgruntled soldiers and sailors.

Automatic weapons, ammunition and paraphernalia similar to that used by the rebels were found at the home of Ramon Cardenas. Officials said rebels were seen leaving Mr Cardenas's house on Saturday evening.

Several others were questioned, including one of Mr Estrada's former mistresses.

Ms Arroyo described the rebellion as an "ill-conceived mutiny carried out by misguided military officers". But she added that it signalled "an underlying problem that we must address".

The inquiries would "investigate the roots of the mutiny and the provocation that inspired it", she said.