Coups worries cause state of emergency in Philippines

NY Times:

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared a state of emergency today after saying she had quashed a coup attempt against her, and banned rallies marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of Ferdinand Marcos, the former dictator.

Security was tightened in what the military called a "double red alert," with barbed wire thrown and other barriers thrown up quickly around the presidential palace, apparently to head off any attempt by Mrs. Arroyo's foes to storm the building.

Despite the ban, former President Corazon Aquino, a widely popular figure here, led a march against President Arroyo. Throughout the capital, police immediately began dispersing demonstrators, arresting dozens.

In spite of the commotion of the day, some analysts who have watched Philippine's tumultuous politics over several years said today's events would probably not be mark a turning point for the current government.

Pacific Strategies and Assessments, a U.S. risk analysis company which has operations in Manila, said that much of what happened today was "part of the Philippines' rowdy political theater."

...

The Philippines have not been blessed with comeptant goernance. It is not in the same baket case failed state as Haiti but it has never been a model state either. It is another country that was better off under US rule.

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