January 24, 2006: YOUng (Young Officers Union New Generation), a group of military officers, announced their intention to clean up the country, and avoid getting arrested. They denied they had anything to do with the alleged coup attempt this past weekend. Junior military officers have long been the source of corruption, or anger at corruption.
January 23, 2006: The military admitted that there was an attempt by some officers to stage a coup, but that few military men were involved and the effort was easily foiled.
China, in a good will gesture, donated $1.5 million worth of heavy construction equipment to the Filipino military.
January 19, 2006: Abu Sayyaf, and their allies from the Indonesian based Jemaah Islamiyah, continue to find Moslems in the south willing to shelter and support them. Violence against Christians is popular with many Filipino Moslems because of decades of Christians migrating into the Moslem south. The Christians are often economically more successful, and this creates jealousy that is exploited by the Islamic radicals.
