Crackdown After Philippines Coup Plot

Police on Saturday raided the offices of a newspaper and detained several prominent critics of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a day after she declared a state of emergency to quash a coup plot.

Several hundred government opponents gathered at a Roman Catholic Mass, where they questioned the legitimacy of the state of emergency and vowed more protests to force Arroyo from office.

But with rallies banned, the streets were otherwise quiet on a day when Filipinos normally would have been marking the 20th anniversary of the "people power" uprising that forced dictator Ferdinand Marcos into exile on Feb. 25, 1986.

Arroyo, who already has withstood two coup attempts and numerous other crises during five tumultuous years in power, has said the state of emergency was necessary to prevent a breakdown in law and order.

Arroyo said that even though the military had foiled the threat by some elements of the military, there were ongoing attempts by the political opposition to bring down her government, reports CBS News' Gaby Tabunar (audio). Another danger, the president warned, was that the extreme left is joining the anti-government moves.

Major questions remained, including how long the state of emergency would last and how many people she would have arrested or questioned on suspicion of sedition.

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 "people power," a damning allegation in a country that takes pride in inspiring pro-democracy movements around the world.

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 his downfall.

He did not call for Arroyo's resignation, as his predecessor, Corazon Aquino, has done. Aquino, the icon of the 1986 revolution that restored democracy in the Philippines, led a street protest Friday during which she urged Arroyo to step down. Ramos and Aquino sat together at the Mass on Saturday.

"What is this emergency act all about? Is it another name for martial law?" Aquino said after the Mass.

Imposing a state of emergency is a dangerous move in a country still smarting from the martial-law decrees used by Marcos.

The declaration bans rallies, allows arrests without warrants, permits the president to call in the military to intervene and lets her take over facilities, including media outlets, that may affect national security.

Early Saturday, police barged into the offices of The Daily Tribune and confiscated editorial materials 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, owned by Olivarez's family, has been among the most critical of Arroyo, and has recently reported on alleged military plots to oust her.

Also Saturday, Rep. Crispin Beltran, a member of the leftist Anakpawis party, was taken into custody for questioning. Local media said he 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.

On Friday, riot police quickly used force to disperse two protests. Later, Aquino and about 5,000 people marched peacefully to a memorial to her late husband Benigno, whose assassination in 1983 sparked massive protests that led to the revolt against Marcos.

An army general was arrested and a police commander was relieved of his duties, as military chiefs moved to quash the rebellion before it even started.

The military has played major roles in two "people power" revolts and has a recent history of restiveness, so Arroyo ordered a massive security clampdown, with military camps barricaded to keep troops from joining the demonstrations.

Military chiefs said they backed Arroyo and that they had eased the threat of a coup, but hadn't wiped it out completely.