One of six junior officers who led a failed mutiny by Philippine troops told an independent inquiry on Wednesday he was rebuffed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo when he tried to tell her about corruption in the military.

Navy Lieutenant Antonio Trillanes, one of 321 elite soldiers facing coup charges over the July 27 siege in Manila's business district, said he met Arroyo two weeks before the uprising but ended up being detained for five days on her verbal order.

"Instead of opening her mind to the serious allegations, she berated me and ordered me detained and paraded to the media," he told the panel chaired by retired judge Florentino Feliciano.

"I think everyone has witnessed how arrogant the president is," he said. "She just kept on yakking and yakking."

Trillianes, the most visible mutineer during the 19-hour siege, was cautioned several times by the panel that an officer was supposed to be a gentleman and show proper respect to the president and commander-in-chief.

Arroyo, who was criticized for jubilantly thrusting her arms in the air at a news conference after the siege, said late last month she met Trillianes at the presidential palace on July 13.

She said then that she had told General Narciso Abaya, the armed forces' chief of staff, to investigate the allegations made by Trillianes during their 90-minute meeting.

"All allegations of corruption in the armed forces shall be investigated expeditiously and thoroughly," Arroyo said on Tuesday. "I ask any junior officers with knowledge of such activities to bring evidence before the Department of Justice."

The renegade soldiers accused senior officials of making weapons deals with rebels and staging bombings blamed on Muslim guerrillas to win more military aid from the United States.

Government and military officials have said the mutiny was the sharp end of an attempted coup to set up a 15-man ruling junta with the financial and logistical support of some of Arroyo's political enemies.

ONE HUNDRED PUSHUPS

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez told the inquiry on Tuesday "impressionable and exploitable" junior officers were manipulated into an attempt to install deposed President Joseph Estrada for three days before he would be asked to step aside.

Estrada, now on trial on economic plunder charges after he was ousted by an army-backed popular revolt in January 2001 that elevated Arroyo from vice president, has denied any involvement.

State prosecutors have issued subpoenas to Gregorio Honasan, an opposition senator and former army colonel linked to coup plots in the 1980s, and six others giving them until mid-August to contest pending coup charges.

Honasan, who has made no public appearances since the mutiny, has said the government is fabricating a case against him.

Arroyo, who insists she will not run in elections due by next May, has vowed that the mutineers and their backers will face the full force of the law after the ninth army uprising in 17 years.

Leading a coup carries a jail term of up to 40 years, but participants in previous attempts were given light sentences. In 1990, then Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos punished mutinous troops by ordering them to do 100 pushups.

Trillianes, who said he had details of pervasive corruption in the procurement of military equipment, was asked by members of the inquiry whether his pledges as an officer not to lie and cheat extended to loyalty to the country.

"We're loyal to the people," he said. "Corruption is treason."

Arroyo said on Tuesday she had created two task forces to "institute long-needed reforms" at the Department of National Defense, particularly equipment procurement by the armed forces.

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