Philippines army tells soldiers to be loyal to Arroyo
28 Nov 2008 12:46:28 GMT Source: Reuters
(Adds details) MANILA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The head of the Philippine military urged soldiers on Friday to remain loyal to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo amid renewed calls for street protests against possible attempts to extend her term. "Let us not be distracted by issues and political events that's happening around us," General Alexander Yano told soldiers lined up at the army grounds for a routine inspection parade. Opposition politicians and some Catholic bishops have called for demonstrations this weekend, incensed by a proposal by Arroyo's supporters to change the constitution and extend her six-year term beyond 2010. But calls for protests against Arroyo over the past year have evoked only moderate responses. The church is a powerful force in Philippine politics -- it has been at the vanguard of "people power" revolutions that have removed two presidents in the last three decades. While many of the country's bishops are not in favour of amending the constitution, they have provided valuable support to Arroyo. She also has the support of the military despite coup attempts by a handful of rogue soldiers. Still, the proposal to extend the constitution has evoked ire. "If we can no longer go through the legal means of seeking the truth, we will be forced to use extra-constitutional or extra legal means," Bishop Deogracias Iniquez told a forum on Thursday, urging the people to take to the streets. Another bishop, Antonio Tobias said he will lead a protest rally on Nov. 30 against efforts to change the country's constitution that would remove term limits on elected officials, including the president. Arroyo's administration has been rocked by at least three coup plots and four impeachment bids due to long-running corruption allegations and doubts on the credibility of her 2004 poll victory. While she is deeply unpopular, she has held on to power because the jaded middle class is sick of political instability and she has a huge majority in the lower house. Yano also said the country faced a security threat, especially from the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf with suspected ties to Jemaah Islamiah. The group is behind several kidnappings in the south and bomb attacks at commuter trains and buses in the capital in recent years. It was blamed for a ferry disaster near Manila Bay in 2004 that killed 100 people, the worst militant attack in the country. (Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
Jose Miguel Tuason Arroyo, husband of Philippine's President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, takes off his glasses during the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cebu, central Philippines, in this January ...
