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Arroyo lifts Philippine state of emergency
(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-03 21:37
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo lifted a week-old state of emergency
Friday, justifying the controversial decree by claiming a coup plot had been "a
clear and present danger" to the Philippines.
Arroyo held out an olive branch to the restive military, ordering her defense
secretary to investigate their complaints and needs. At the same time, she was
unapologetic about a crackdown that has included dozens of arrests on rebellion
charges.
"It is essential now that our political opponents and opportunists stop
undermining our economy at home and embarrassing the nation abroad with their
cheap political antics," Arroyo said in a nationally televised address.
"I will never tolerate this kind of adventurism. No matter how many times, I
will act with steadfastness and determination each time our enemies undermine
our nation and the economy."
Arroyo's security advisers assured her that the threat of a coup by a loose
coalition of the opposition, communist rebels and right-wing military
adventurists 锟斤拷 the reason she cited for imposing the emergency declaration on
Friday 锟斤拷 has eased.
"I am confident that order has been restored," she said. "For the love of the
nation, it is time to make things work and get things done."
Former President Fidel Ramos, whose support was crucial when Arroyo survived
a political crisis several months ago, said lifting the decree "would pre-empt
further, more serious action on the part of the restive military and police
components."
He warned the situation has not stabilized and the threat against Arroyo's
government remains.
Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz vowed to court martial two senior military
commanders implicated in the foiled coup.
"If you are a member of the military and you are armed, you are not
authorized to join the free market of ideas," Cruz said.
Opposition and civil activists have warned that the state of emergency eroded
political freedoms.
Authorities have filed criminal charges against at least 51 opposition
members, military personnel and others for allegedly trying to overthrow the
president. Arroyo said each would have a fair trial.
Police said they filed charges Friday of inciting sedition against the
publisher and two columnists of the Daily Tribune, an opposition newspaper that
was raided last weekend.
Civil libertarians, lawyers, businesspeople and media groups have expressed
concerns over a string of warrantless arrests, a ban on rallies and the
newspaper raid.
Arroyo countered that her actions actually protected civil liberties from
those who wanted to usurp them.
"Throughout the ordeal, I have been keenly aware of the anxiety that the
state of emergency created within many segments of society," she said. "It was
not an action I took lightly, but I felt too much was at stake to do anything
less."
Left-wing Rep. Teodoro Casino, one of six lawmakers charged with rebellion,
called the end of Arroyo's decree a superficial move. He and four of the other
legislators have been holed up in the House of Representatives building to avoid
arrest.
"We still cannot go out of Congress, we still have a lousy president, and the
military and police are still after 'the enemies of the state,'" he said. "She
lifted it to escape the snowballing protest against the proclamation. It's
cosmetic, but in a way it's a victory, because she was forced to lift it."
The Supreme Court had set oral arguments for next Tuesday on four legal
challenges to Arroyo's decree. Casino said those actions are now moot, but vowed
protests will continue against what he called continuing political repression.
National police chief Arturo Lomibao ordered officers to leave the premises
of the Daily Tribune. He also lowered the police alert status to normal and
removed the suspension of permits to carry firearms, police spokesman Senior
Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao said.
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