Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo faced criticism from prominent Filipinos yesterday for declaring a state of emergency to quash a coup plot, with a former president and military commander saying the move will hurt the Philippines unless it is rescinded soon.
Police meanwhile raided the offices of a newspaper critical of Arroyo, and detained an opposition lawmaker and two retired police generals who were at a golf course at the time they were taken in for questioning.
Several hundred government opponents gathered at a Roman Catholic Mass, where they questioned the legal legitimacy of the state of emergency.
PHOTO: AP
Former president Fidel Ramos, who stood by Arroyo during last year's failed impeachment bid, joined the president's critics, saying in a TV interview: "I was not only surprised, I was appalled and dismayed" by the declaration.
Ramos accused Arroyo of "killing the spirit" of a "people power" revolt that toppled late dictator Ferdinand Marcos 20 years ago to the day. He said he didn't believe the declaration was justified because no actual coup attempt had taken place, and that Arroyo had overreacted.
"If there is a plot of conspiracy, then an immediate investigation must take place to determine whether an actual crime was committed," said Ramos, a military commander who withdrew his support for Marcos and was a key figure in the dictator's downfall.
He did not call for Arroyo's resignation, as his predecessor, Corazon Aquino, has done. Aquino, the icon of the 1986 revolution who restored democracy in the Philippines, led a street protest on Friday during which she urged Arroyo to step down. Ramos and Aquino sat together at the Mass yesterday.
"What is this emergency act all about? Is it another name for martial law?" Aquino said.
Arroyo has said the state of emergency was necessary to prevent a breakdown in law and order.
Friday was one of the toughest and longest days yet for Arroyo, who already has withstood two coup attempts and numerous other crises during five tumultuous years in power.
Imposing a state of emergency is a dangerous move in a country still smarting from the martial-law decrees used by Marcos.
Early yesterday, police barged into the offices of the Daily Tribune and confiscated editorial material and a bundle of newspapers headlining Arroyo's declaration.
After the raid, they posted police at the door but it was not clear if they intended to close the office, the paper's publisher, Ninez Cacho Olivarez said.
The newspaper, which is owned by Olivarez's family, has been among the most critical of Arroyo, and has recently reported on alleged military plots to force her from power.
Also yesterday, Republican Crispin Beltran, a member of the leftist Anakpawis party in the House of Representatives, was taken into custody for questioning at police headquarters in Manila. Local media said Beltran was being questioned about an old rebellion case.
Two former police generals, Ramon Montano and Rex Piad, were detained at a golf course south of Manila. Montano had previously urged Arroyo to resign, and Piad supported the campaign of Fernando Poe Jr., who lost to Arroyo in the 2004 presidential elections.
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged prisoners of war in the latest such swap that saw the release of hundreds of captives and was brokered with the help of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), officials said on Monday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that 189 Ukrainian prisoners, including military personnel, border guards and national guards — along with two civilians — were freed. He thanked the UAE for helping negotiate the exchange. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that 150 Russian troops were freed from captivity as part of the exchange in which each side released 150 people. The reason for the discrepancy in numbers
A shark attack off Egypt’s Red Sea coast killed a tourist and injured another, authorities said on Sunday, with an Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs source identifying both as Italian nationals. “Two foreigners were attacked by a shark in the northern Marsa Alam area, which led to the injury of one and the death of the other,” the Egyptian Ministry of Environment said in a statement. A source at the Italian foreign ministry said that the man killed was a 48-year-old resident of Rome. The injured man was 69 years old. They were both taken to hospital in Port Ghalib, about 50km north
The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland on Tuesday expressed concern about “the political crisis” in Georgia, two days after Mikheil Kavelashvili was formally inaugurated as president of the South Caucasus nation, cementing the ruling party’s grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia. “We strongly condemn last week’s violence against peaceful protesters, media and opposition leaders, and recall Georgian authorities’ responsibility to respect human rights and protect fundamental freedoms, including the freedom to assembly and media freedom,” the three ministers wrote in a joint statement. In reaction
BARRIER BLAME: An aviation expert questioned the location of a solid wall past the end of the runway, saying that it was ‘very bad luck for this particular airplane’ A team of US investigators, including representatives from Boeing, on Tuesday examined the site of a plane crash that killed 179 people in South Korea, while authorities were conducting safety inspections on all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by the country’s airlines. All but two of the 181 people aboard the Boeing 737-800 operated by South Korean budget airline Jeju Air died in Sunday’s crash. Video showed the aircraft, without its landing gear deployed, crash-landed on its belly and overshoot a runaway at Muan International Airport before it slammed into a barrier and burst into flames. The plane was seen having engine trouble.
RSS