Military vehicles transporting brand new rifles fuel rumours of coup

M4 caliber 5.56mm rifle (Wikipedia photo)

MANILA, Philippines – Rumours of a military coup flew last week, fueled by President Aquino’s slide in popularity ratings and the sight of several army vehicles making their way from the Metro’s South Harbour.

The gossip turned out to be unfounded, and military officials clarified that trucks were, in fact, transporting new rifles to Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato said that the brand new M4 caliber 5.56mm rifles will soon be distributed to field units for their security operations.

The rifles – 27,200 in all, divided between 59 crates inside 19 containers – arrived at the Manila South Harbor last Thursday, where they were secured for transport by the military.. This marks the first batch of firearms the military has ordered from American firm Remington Arms Co.

“The armored vehicles seen at the South Harbor were escorting these critical items,” Detoyato said.

“You will be inspired (to work). You will feel goose bumps. You know that these are brand new rifles,” he added.

The government’s defense department had initially planned on buying 50,629 units of rifles from Remington, but upped the amount to more than 63,000 after saving P1.2 billion from the total purchase.

Total purchase amount for the rifles – which will replace the army’s visibly aged M16’s – is approximately P2.4 billion, with the second batch expected to arrive in December of this year.