International   

Coup crushed; emergency declared in Philippines

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines, politically embattled for several months now, proclaimed a state of emergency on Friday and asserted that a coup attempt by a section of the armed forces had been "crushed" earlier in the day.

Ms. Arroyo's action, which was later backed by the top leaders of military and police establishments, came amid protest rallies and political buzz about plots against her from within the armed forces.

In a televised address, she cited the persistence of a "clear threat to the nation" even after the detection of the suspected coup-bid by the heads of Scout Rangers and Marines, two elite military units, and the chief of Special Action Force, a commando unit within the national police. These "plotters" and their associates, whose number remained unspecified, were arrested. Ms. Arroyo claimed that right-wing politicians and the left forces had now formed "a tactical alliance" to overturn her victory in the 2004 presidential poll.

Warning the protesters, the President said "treason" would be the target of law-enforcement under the emergency powers which fell short of martial law.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Efforts on to pull back Iraq from the brink of civil war
Geneva: pact to respect ceasefire
Suicide attack bid on Saudi oil facility
Rumsfeld wanted to hit Iraq after 9/11
Coup crushed; emergency declared in Philippines
Russia may make new offer to Iran
Chinese fighter planes for Bangladesh
Thaksin calls mid-term poll
Dubai firm delays takeover of U.S. ports
E.U. plans awareness campaign
Reward to trace robbers
London Mayor suspended
54 killed as textile mill catches fire in Bangladesh
Bush hopes his visit will set the stage for a groundbreaking nuclear pact

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu