THE Cavite Provincial Police Office was alerted about an unauthorized troop movement to Metro Manila that would supposedly happen yesterday or today.

The intelligence report, however, did not identify what group or groups to watch for.

Ground troops were instructed to set up more checkpoints in main thoroughfares leading to Metro Manila.

Talks of destabilization cropped up anew after Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada appeared before the Senate Friday and testified on anomalies surrounding on the cancelled public national broadband deal government signed with the Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

The Armed Forces told soldiers to resign if they want to make a stand on the NBN-ZTE deal that implicated high-ranking government officials and presidential spouse Mike Arroyo in alleged payoffs.

"If they want to make it public, then they can get out of the service because that would in a way be involving yourself in something which is political," said Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, chief of the AFP public information office.

Earlier yesterday, a member of the Reformed the Armed Forces Movements (now Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa) told officers and men they should keep to themselves their opinions on political issues and follow the chain of command.

"Our personal opinions are personal and private. As we listen and have access to what is happening in the political scene, we will keep our opinions to ourselves," said Brig. Gen. Ricardo Morales, commander of the Army’s Headquarters and Headquarters Support Group.

During the Marcos administration, Morales was arrested along with now retired Col. Jake Malajacan for alleged involvement in a coup plot.

"All of us can be replaced. If we can no longer do our job, that’s the time we leave the service," he said.

Morales also asked soldiers to not to spread text messages on political issues.

"Do not spread rumors. You will pass on this message or rumor only to your intelligence officer. We will not participate in any political activity," he said.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye defended the revelation of national security adviser Norberto Gonzales that government is monitoring some members of the opposition who could be involved in fresh attempts to destabilize the government.

"He will be sleeping on job if he does not monitor these events, analyze the events as they unfold," he said.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez lashed at "opposition forces" for spreading text messages over the weekend of a supposed bomb threat in several places in Metro Manila.

He said the messages were another black propaganda against the government to make it appear that the government is trying to divert the public’s attention from the Senate’s investigation of the NBN deal.

The text message, supposedly coming from a certain CA R. Diaz of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces, warned the public to stay away from malls and mass transportation systems as they are being marked for bomb attacks.

The messages started circulating Friday. – Raymond Africa, Victor Reyes, Jocelyn Montemayor and Evangeline de Vera