MANILA, Aug 3: Support units have been pouring into the Philippine military headquarters in Manila amid continuing threats to President Gloria Arroyo’s presidency, officials said Sunday.

Camp commander Commodore Tirso Danga said troops were prepared and the camp was on the second tier of a three-step alert level, despite the fact there have so far been no reports of specific threats.

“All measures are in place for any eventuality. All is well. Our troops can sleep, but are on the alert always,” Danga said.

At least two battalions of support troops from nearby camps were seen trucked into the Camp Aguinaldo, in suburban Quezon city north of Manila. They were fully armed with assault rifles and other high-calibre weapons.

An official with the unit, who declined to be named, said the troops came from a neighbouring camp and were told to be prepared for possible threats.

On Saturday, President Arroyo said a “state of rebellion” she declared at the height of a 22-hour uprising by some 300 rebel soldiers on July 27 would not yet be lifted.

She said there remained “residual threats” to her government, confirming statements made by military officials earlier that the mutineers still had unnamed military and civilian conspirators at large. A state of rebellion empowers security forces to arrest without warrants those deemed to be security threats.

The rebel soldiers had demanded Arroyo’s resignation as well as other top defence officials they said were involved in corruption in the military. They subsequently surrendered and agreed to face court martial in exchange for the government launching a probe into their allegations.

During congressional inquiries last week, military officials accused the rebel soldiers of planning to create a 15-man military junta to rule the country if Arroyo had been ousted.

Five junior military officers who allegedly led the rebellion were detained at the military intelligence headquarters, but have been prevented by the military leadership from testifying before congress for security reasons.

In a statement obtained by AFP from the five through their lawyer on Sunday, the five maintained they were not “rogue soldiers” who committed any crime and that the brief uprising was a means to air their grievance.

They called on government to allow them to testify in Congress, warning that any attempt by authorities to cover up alleged corruption in the military would lead to public disapproval.

“Why can’t we be allowed to speak before the committees of Congress? What is the government afraid of? Of course, the government is afraid of the truth. But only the truth can set us free,” the statement said.

The rebel soldiers also dismissed as a “blatant lie” statements by the military that there were threats against their lives. “We are willing to risk it, just so the people will know the truth.”

SENATE INQUIRY: The Philippine government on Sunday backed a call to suspend a Senate inquiry into a failed soldiers’ mutiny, warning that the renegades might use the sessions to stir up further dissension in the armed forces.