Bounty offered for capture of Philippine 'coup plotter'

PHILIPPINES: The Philippine government Thursday offered a reward of five million pesos (98,000 dollars) for the arrest of a former senator implicated in an alleged coup plot against President Gloria Arroyo last month.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said the reward would be paid for information leading to the "surrender, arrest of capture" of Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan. Smaller rewards were also offered for six others, whose pictures appeared in posters distributed by police.

Honasan has been at large since the government named him as a leader of the failed plot, which prompted Arroyo to declare a state of national emergency.

The plot allegedly called for the ousting of Arroyo and was to have taken place on the 20th anniversary of a popular revolt that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos on February 24.

It allegedly was hatched by communist rebels, disgruntled military officers and opposition figures, including Honasan and six leftist legislators. Manila, Thursday, AFP