The mutineers' original plan was to mount a power grab on August 2 by simultaneously seizing Malacanang presidential palace, the Sangley Point naval base on the mouth of Manila Bay, a Manila television network "and other vital targets", Brigadier General Victor Corpus said.

"Because we were able to preempt them, they panicked and they were forced to act prematurely even though the troops that would have been used for the coup had yet to arrive in Manila," former military intelligence chief Corpus said on ABS-CBN television.

About 300 soldiers seized and booby-trapped a section of Manila's Makati financial district in the early hours of July 27, shortly after Arroyo denounced what she said was an armed attempt against her government.

The uprising collapsed less than 24 hours later after failing to win wider support. The rebels surrendered without a fight after being threatened with artillery and rocket attacks, and they are now facing rebellion charges which could consign them to life in prison.

Arroyo insists the action is part of larger, well-financed plot involving certain political personalities to depose and possibly assassinate her and to put a junta in her place.

"Had the plot not been discovered a week early, because their original target was August 2 -- if there was complete failure of intelligence -- it is likely this government would have fallen," Corpus said.

Corpus quit his post shortly after the mutiny to calm what he described as continuing restiveness in the military ranks. The rebels had urged Arroyo to sack Corpus, Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, and national police chief Hermogenes Ebdane.

"The government and the armed forces must not relax their guard. They have to account for all those involved," Corpus said.

"We are aware of the extent of their recruitment," he said, but refused to give figures owing to security reasons.

The government has filed a rebellion complaint against opposition Senator Gregorio Honasan, a reformed coup plotter who was granted presidential amnesty in 1995. The politician denies the charge but has gone on hiding.

"Honasan was not the only one. There were many others implicated there," Corpus said without revealing names.

"We have an idea of who is the mastermind," he added.

Corpus said the plot was dangerous because the leaders were able to exploit the genuine grievances of the young officers who led the Makati siege.

The junior officers had complained over corruption in the senior military leadership and inadequate support to frontline troops fighting communist and Muslim separatist insurgencies.

"These idealistic officers who took part have no inkling that the mastermind has a different agenda," he said.

He said the conspirators were also able to use as a "smokescreen" a "National Recovery Program" political platform attributed to Senator Honasan "which they used to recruit these officers."

WAR.WIRE