State of Emergency As Arroyo Claims Coup is Foiled

The Philippine president, Gloria Arroyo, declared a state of emergency yesterday after the military foiled an alleged coup, a move condemned by her opponents as a desperate maneuver to cling to power in the face of growing opposition.

In defiance of an accompanying ban on rallies, thousands of people took to the streets across Manila to demand that Ms Arroyo resign and to commemorate today’s 20th anniversary of the country’s first popular revolt, which toppled the dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Police used water cannon, teargas and baton charges to disperse some protesters but allowed the main rally, through the Makati financial district, to proceed peacefully.

In an address Ms Arroyo said: "There were a few who tried to break from the armed forces chain of command, to fight the civilian government and establish a regime outside the constitution. We crushed this attempt."

A brigadier and two other officers were among those taken into custody.

Opposition leaders challenged the president, whose problems stem from last year when a tape recording emerged of her allegedly trying to manipulate the presidential election result, to explain why the extra powers were necessary. "Now that [the alleged coup] has been nipped in the bud, what’s the need for an emergency?" said Butz Aquino, the brother-in-law of former president Corazon Aquino.

Military leaders held a press conference to affirm their loyalty to Ms Arroyo. Analysts say that as long as the military stays loyal Ms Arroyo should be safe. But in previous popular revolts the military has changed sides after initially supporting the incumbent leader.