GMA News Research on People

Brigadier General Danilo Lim
11/29/2007

ISSUES

* Involvement in alleged coup. In February 2006, Brigadier General Danilo Lim was relieved from his post as commander of the elite First Scout Rangers Regiment for allegedly plotting a coup d'etat against the Arroyo administration. A Time magazine report said Pastor Saycon, a civil society leader, called Lim on the night of February 23, 2006 while they were planning for a new administration to replace the Arroyo regime. Lim was reported to have described as "all systems go" the anti-Arroyo plan. The next day, February 24, Arroyo declared the State of National Emergency. Lim was arrested--restricted to quarters, according to the military--and relieved from his post.

* Arroyo Political Crisis and the YOU. In July 2005, Lim denied statements supposedly coming from the Young Officers' Union (YOU) calling for the resignation of the President. He said that the former members of the YOU are now leading quiet lives, and pointed out that any group could use the name "Young Officers' Union" for their own ends.

* Peace accord with the government (1995). Lim, a founder of the YOU, signed a peace accord with the government in 1995 during Pres Ramos' term.

* Coup Attempt vs the Aquino administration (1989). Lim, then a captain, was the spokesman for the Reform the Armed Forces Movement that laid siege to Makati City during the November 30 to December 6, 1989 coup attempt against former President Corazon Aquino. He was imprisoned for two years, and was released during the Ramos administration after the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement between government and the military rebels. Ramos approved Lim's reinstatement to the military on October 23, 1994.


PERSONAL

* Born and raised in Solano, Nueva Vizcaya (Youngest of five brothers.)

EDUCATION

* Finished elementary and high school in Solano
* University of the Philippines freshman when he took and topped the Philippine Military Academy entrance exams
* Philippine Military Academy, while at PMA, he took and topped the the US Military Academy entrance exam
* US Military Academy, Westpoint, graduated in 1978
* took the Scout Ranger Course, and graduated No. 1
* took Advanced Infantry Course at the Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia, topped the course, and awarded the Distinguished Allied Student Award for that year.

CAREER

* Commanding Officer, First Scout Ranger Regiment (April 10, 2005 - )
* Deputy commander, First Scout Ranger Regiment (January 2002)
* Commander, 42nd Infantry Battalion (July 9, 2000 - Sept 15, 2001)
* Chief of staff, DILG Undersecretary Narciso 'Jun' Santiago
* Member, RAM-SFP-YOU Peace panel in the negotiations
* Chief of operations, First Scout Ranger Regiment
* PMA instructor
* Commander, forward Recon Unit of the 1st Infantry (Tabak) Division in Jolo, Sulu


AFFILIATIONS

*Former founding chair, Young Officers' Union (YOU)
*Former member, RAM-SFP-YOU peace panel in the negotiation with the Ramos administration
*PMA Class 1978. Lim entered PMA together with Class '77 but he finished his schooling in West Point '78
*Other members of this batch:

+ Delfin Bangit
+ Carlos Holganza
+ Reynaldo Sealana
+ Abraham Purugganan - participated in the December 1989 coup
+ Rodolfo "Boogie" Mendoza
+ Juancho Sabban - participated in the December 1989 coup
+ Roland Detabali
+ Danilo Lim



Sources: AFP website, INSIDE PCIJ, Malaya, PCIJ, Philippine Army

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