AUTHORITIES warned yesterday of more arrests, while the opposition prepared to go to court to challenge emergency powers assumed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to pre-empt an alleged coup plot.

The military brass met yesterday and discussed how to "identify or neutralise the conspirators of the plot", military spokesman Colonel Tristan Kison said.

"Our people continue to search for them," added national police spokesman Senior Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao. Neither spokesman identified the targets.

Presidential guards maintained a high alert around Malacaang, where major approaches remained barricaded since Friday when Arroyo declared a state of emergency, saying that renegade military officers had formed a "tactical alliance" with communists to topple the government.

Invoking her constitutional powers, Arroyo ordered the military to crush the plot and said the government would take over public utilities if necessary.

Police arrested a left-wing legislator and two retired paramilitary officers on Saturday, when they also raided the offices of the tiny Manila newspaper the Daily Tribune and seized documents.

The paper was later allowed to publish without interference and one of the retired officers was released after he was cleared of any involvement.

At least three senior military and police officials were meanwhile under investigation after the brass uncovered what they described as the plan to withdraw support from Arroyo and take armed soldiers to an opposition rally on Friday that called for her resignation.

The crackdown came on the 20th anniversary of a bloodless popular revolt that ended the 20-year regime of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Since the 1986 revolt, the Southeast Asian country has been troubled by a series of coup attempts. President Joseph Estrada was overthrown in January 2001 and Arroyo, his vice president, was installed as his successor.

Two years after crushing a July 2003 military mutiny, Arroyo overcame an impeachment complaint in the legislature last year over charges she "stole" the May 2004 presidential election.

Lawyers and opposition leaders meanwhile said yesterday they would go to the Supreme Court this week to challenge the legality of Arroyo's emergency powers.

Romeo Capulong, of the Public Interest Law Centre, said it was "definitely unconstitutional" and the lawyers would ask the court to issue a temporary restraining order.

Legislator Ted Casino said his Bayan Muna (People First) party would challenge Arroyo's special powers in the Supreme Court.

"While the security situation has eased a lot we cannot say for certain if the recruitment or other actions [of the plotters] have stopped," military spokesman Kison said over GMA Network dzBB radio.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Asia News Network