GMA says she won’t hesitate to declare another state of emergency

After lifting the week-long state of national emergency, President Arroyo warned yesterday that she would not hesitate to declare it again to fight groups seeking her ouster over vote-rigging allegations.

In her first live interview since the crisis erupted nearly two weeks ago, Mrs. Arroyo said her emergency proclamation — aimed at a supposed plot by the political opposition, "military adventurists" and communist rebels — had helped save the economy and averted violence.

"I am a strong believer in democratic principles," she said in an interview with dzBB radio. "But I also believe that we should stop people who abuse their freedoms and install groups that will one day destroy those very freedoms — the communists who conspire with the extreme right."

She also dismissed opposition allegations that the emergency declaration had infringed on civil liberties enshrined in the Philippine Constitution.

Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments related to seven petitions seeking to declare Proclamation 1017 as unconstitutional.

Solicitor General Alfredo Benipayo argued Monday that questions about the proclamation have become moot because it has already been lifted. He said the proclamation did not clip or suspend any rights and had a clear basis in the Constitution.

Mrs. Arroyo said the security situation in the country was now "quiet and peaceful" but the government remained watchful against future attempts to undermine her administration.

"The laws are there and, as I said when I lifted the state of emergency, I am monitoring events and I will not hesitate to do what needs to be done to uphold the law," she said.

She maintained she wanted to work with political opponents but will not wait for their response.

"I am not withdrawing my call for unity, but I will not use up all my time and energy for that because I need to also pay attention to the economy."

The alleged coup plot that the government quelled last week would have destroyed democracy in the Philippines if it had triumphed, she stressed.

Mrs. Arroyo issued Proclamation 1017 declaring a state of national emergency on Feb. 24 and withdrew it a week later, expressing confidence that order and stability had been restored.

"We showed how strong and stable our government was," she said. "We moved swiftly and we averted violence."

Leftist groups have vowed to continue protests and call for Mrs. Arroyo’s ouster over allegations of corruption and vote-rigging in the 2004 presidential election.

Jose Maria Sison, the founder of the 37-year-old Maoist communist insurgency, last week publicly threw his support behind a military coup as the only way to remove Mrs. Arroyo. — With AP, AFP