MANILA, March 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday asked a Manila-based correspondent of Time magazine, a brother of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino and a businessman to shed light about a reported coup meeting against the government, reported the Philippine News Agency.

    NBI Acting Director Nestor Mantaring sent the "invitations" on Thursday for former House representative and business tycoon Jose Cojuangco Jr., brother of former President Corazon Aquino, businessman Pastor Saycon and Time magazine correspondent Nelly Sindayen to go to the NBI on Friday, said the report.

    The Time magazine reported in its latest issue that its reporter witnessed a meeting held at the house of Cojuangco Thursday night, during which the attendants talked about staging acoup against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and setting up a new government.

    The Department of Justice has asked the NBI to analyze the Time article and determine the veracity of the personalities named in the story, according to the report.

    The Time article of March 6 was under the byline of staff writer Bryan Walsh, but was reported by Sindayen.

    The article claimed that "on Thursday night (Feb. 23) a Time reporter was invited to witness a meeting... where a possible plan a 'withdrawal of support' from President Arroyo was being discussed." Sindayen was supposed to be the reporter in the story.

    Mantaring said the NBI wanted the three persons to shed further light into the reported meeting, which took place on the eve of Arroyo's announcement of an aborted coup d'etat by misguided military officials that prompted her to issue Proclamation 1017 decree declaring a state of national emergency.

    Reported in the meeting were more than a dozen middle-level politicians and businessmen, including Cojuangco's son-in-law, Pasig Representative Robert Jaworski Jr..

    The Cojuangco-Aquino family has asked Arroyo to resign over alleged electoral fraud.

    The report said Saycon talked about establishing a new government and spoke over the phone to a person he identified as an American official in Washington, whom he assured that "the post-coup regime would remain in good terms with ... and a good friend of the U.S."

    Saycon also spoke on the phone to a man identified only as Delta, who was believed to be Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, commander of the elite First Scout Ranger Regiment of the Philippine Army, according to the report.

    Lim reportedly assured Saycon that he was set for the planned movement against the Arroyo government at a mass rally on Friday at the EDSA thoroughfare in Metro Manila, where a military contingent would read a statement withdrawing their support for Arroyo.

    Lim was arrested Friday morning by the military and is under investigation for plotting to overthrow the government.

    EDSA gained its fame after becoming the venue twice of mass protests in 1986 and 2001 which resulted in the downfall of former presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada respectively.

    The downfall of Marcos is locally called EDSA 1, while that of Estrada EDSA 2.  Enditem