Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday lifted a week-long state of national emergency declared to thwart an alleged coup plot. "At this moment, I am calling off the state of emergency," she said in a nationally televised address.
"After one week, we can say that we have thwarted this conspiracy and it is time for us to return to the proper work of society," Mrs Arroyo said. "I have strong confidence that we have restored normalcy."
Mrs Arroyo declared the state of emergency last Friday to counter what she said was an alliance of communist rebels and "military adventurists" aimed at toppling her. She said that "numerous subversives, some soldiers and policemen have been arrested."
In pre-emptive actions aimed at heading off the alleged plot, authorities sacked three senior military and police officers whose units were implicated, and banned street protests for that day.
Under the emergency decree, the government filed charges of rebellion and attempting a coup d'etat against 16 opposition figures, including six leftist legislators and charismatic former army colonel Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan. His whereabouts are unknown.
