Protesters Put Pressure on Arroyo

Pressure grew today on the Philippine president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, to quit, as protesters assembled in central Manila for the biggest rally against her so far, with security forces on full alert amid fears of terror attacks and rumours of a coup.

Police estimated at least 40,000 people had gathered in Manila's Makati district by late afternoon. "Oust Gloria now," the crowd chanted. "Gloria is a thief."

Some carried a huge banner reading "Goodbye Arroyo", as supporters rained white confetti on the crowd from nearby buildings.

The rally is seen as a test of public sentiment and an indicator of whether Ms Arroyo's opponents can muster enough support to oust her in a "people power" revolt similar to those that removed longtime dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Joseph Estrada, Ms Arroyo's predecessor, in 2001.

Today's numbers were quadruple those of the previous largest anti-Arroyo rally, but still a fraction of the giant rallies which led to the downfalls of Marcos and Mr Estrada.

The demonstration was aimed at uniting a broad spectrum of opposition groups and parties, in the biggest show of force since a political crisis erupted last month over allegations Ms Arroyo rigged the May 2004 election and that her family received illegal gambling payoffs.

"We want this rally to be big enough to jolt her," said Jejomar Binay, the opposition mayor of Makati. "We want a resignation, we want changes, we want reforms now."

Ms Arroyo's four-year-old presidency appeared on the brink of collapse last week after 10 members of her cabinet resigned and political and business allies deserted her.

But she has defied a growing clamour for her to step down, saying to quit now would condemn future governments to endless turmoil.

Last-minute support from the influential former president Fidel Ramos and the powerful Catholic church's refusal to tell her to quit helped swing the momentum back in her favour but raised the prospect of prolonged uncertainty.

The environment secretary, Mike Defensor, one of Ms Arroyo's closest advisers, told foreign journalists that Ms Arroyo "will never resign". He said the crisis over the president's alleged election fraud was "reversible" and that public trust could be restored.

He admitted, however, that the current situation is potentially explosive, calling it "just one notch short of getting violent".

The military has stressed its neutrality, but rumours of unrest in the ranks are swirling in a country that has seen more than a dozen coup attempts in the past two decades.

"We are solid behind the government," said Angelo Reyes, the interior secretary and a retired military chief whose withdrawal of support in 2001 sealed Estrada's fate. "No two situations are the same and the situation now is very different," Mr Reyes told reporters.

But a retired military officer who has been implicated in past coup attempts told the Associated Press that disgruntled soldiers were organising groups that may take action against Ms Arroyo, while an army captain - discussing the motivation for action - said the military must intervene when the government becomes ineffective. Both spoke anonymously for fear of retribution.

Analysts said Ms Arroyo, a US-trained economist and the daughter of a late president, would not be under immediate threat unless protests grew larger and more frequent.

There were no signs that Ms Arroyo's traditional foes - leftist, student and farmers' groups combined with supporters of the deposed Mr Estrada - were being joined by the middle class, whose presence was crucial in past uprisings. On both previous occasions, the Roman Catholic church and the military withdrew their support from the presidents.

However, Wilson Fortaleza of the leftwing Sanlakas party called the protest "a preview for a bigger storm", saying: "The situation is not yet ripe for a full-blown 'people power'."

"We will not stop marching until she steps down," added opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson. "She must now think of the interest of the country."

The military and police were on maximum alert. About 6,000 police, backed by 1,000 soldiers, were guarding against possible attacks by al-Qaida-linked militants from the Abu Sayyaf group and Jemaah Islamiyah terror network, the Manila metropolitan police chief, Vidal Querol, said.

A police intelligence officer said anti-Arroyo forces had a war chest of 25m pesos (£250,000) for this week's protests. Beefing up a rally is relatively easy in the Philippines, with people often taking a fast food meal and a small payout to march and chant.

Police said the final size of the crowd would depend on the weather and the scheduled appearance of actress Susan Roces, the widow of Fernando Poe Jr, a movie star who died in December after losing the May 2004 presidential election to Ms Arroyo.

Leftwing groups and supporters of Mr Estrada - who has volunteered to serve as a transitional leader if Ms Arroyo is ousted - transported protesters by bus and jeeps from the provinces, police said. Organisers complained that protesters were being stopped before entering the capital.

The crowd included former leftwing activists who helped oust Mr Estrada side by side with die-hard Estrada supporters.

But not everyone in the area was anti-Arroyo. "It reminds me of 'people power', but this makes me sad because they have different political colours, different agendas," said bank employee Erica Perez, who works in a nearby building. "They are wasting efforts because what they are doing will not make any complete change for our country, for our economy."