PHILIPPINES: The Philippine president Gloria Arroyo intensified her purge of alleged coup plotters yesterday as opposition groups conceded that she was unlikely to be toppled in the immediate future.
Police charged 16 people with inciting a coup and plotting a rebellion in relation to the attempt last week by elements within the elite scout rangers and marines to withdraw from the chain of command.
The accused included six left-wing MPs, several junior army officers and a hero of the 1986 "people power" movement that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos. About 150 anti-Arroyo activists stormed the lobby of the legislature yesterday to protest at the mounting crackdown, but there were no serious clashes.
Opposition groups insisted they would continue to defy the state of emergency that Ms Arroyo declared last Friday and said they would initiate a constitutional amendment to nullify the results of the 2004 presidential poll. It is her alleged attempt to rig that election that triggered the present turmoil.
The military said the state of emergency was still justified because the coup plot had not been completely contained.
However, two groups petitioned the supreme court, arguing that Ms Arroyo had violated the constitution and that consequently the measures imposed, such as control of the media, should be lifted.
Catholic bishops warned the president that unless she tackled issues such as corruption and poverty she would soon be ousted.
Ms Arroyo spoke yesterday of the economic impact of her crackdown: "Thank God the stock market went up by 19 points and the peso strengthened . . . maybe because of the right handling of the standoff in the marines".
Florencio Abad, who resigned as education minister last year, said he hoped congress would amend the constitution to allow for a snap election.
"If it doesn't happen, the continuing oppression will be met by more resistance from a less tolerant populace which wants a democratic restoration," he said. "And that resistance will only invite further oppression."