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Thousands of Philippine protesters urge defiant Arroyo to quit
Thousands of protesters, some shouting "Gloria Arroyo, the fake president!", have assembled to demand the resignation of the Philippine leader over vote-rigging claims that have threatened her hold on power. Troops and police went on full alert and Manila's Makati financial district battened down before the scheduled mid-afternoon start of the protest. Opponents are hoping for a turnout of up to 50,000 to keep up the pressure on Arroyo, who is clinging tenaciously to power despite the resignation of 10 top officials last Friday over the scandal.
"She is standing resolute amid calls for her resignation. She will not stand down ... even if today's rally sees half a million people taking to the streets," Defensor told reporters. About 3,000-4,000 leftist protesters massed at one site in Makati under a sea of red and blue banners. "Kick GMA out now!" they shouted, referring to Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the daughter of a former president. Loudspeakers blared excerpts of wiretapped telephone conversations which have embroiled the US-educated economist in scandal.
Witnesses estimated the total size of the two groups at between 5,000 and 7,000. Some 4,000 soldiers were ready for deployment anywhere in Manila amid fears that guerrillas or Islamic militants could mount terror attacks to exploit the political crisis, said Captain Ramon Zagala, spokesman for the National Capital Region military command. Police across the country are also on full alert due to fears that protests could be infiltrated by militants, said national police chief Arturo Lomibao.
The main avenue in Makati was closed to traffic early Wednesday, forcing stock exchange traders and office workers to walk to work past protesters. "I believe that her continued stay will only damage the country," said Antonio Lachica, a jobless man, waving a red flag. Jejomar Binay, Makati's mayor and one of the protest leaders, accused police of harassing convoys of vehicles driving to the rally site. An AFP photographer saw police stop a 30-vehicle convoy of leftist protesters in the town of Sipocot, southeast of Manila, late Tuesday. The political crisis took an increasing toll on the economy as Moody's Investors Service cut its credit ratings outlook to negative from stable, following similar moves by Standard and Poor's and Fitch Ratings. They fear the government could be distracted from the main objective of shoring up its shaky fiscal position. Share prices closed 0.80 percent lower before the rally. Some business groups, former political allies and ex-president Corazon Aquino have also urged Arroyo to resign. But more allies are also coming forward as the president hangs tough. A poll released Wednesday of 300 respondents in Metro Manila showed that 80 percent of them believe Arroyo was involved in manipulating the 2004 vote count and 58 percent believe she should resign. But rallies so far have drawn small crowds, unlike in 1986 and 2001 when massive army-backed "people power" revolts toppled presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Estrada. Arroyo faces an impeachment complaint in Congress over the audio tapes, in which a woman sounding like her is apparently heard asking an election official to fix a million-vote winning margin. Arroyo has denied cheating and refused to resign, saying that would condemn the Philippines to endless political turmoil. She has received crucial backing from another ex-president, Fidel Ramos, a former general who still wields influence over the military.
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![A Filipino floor trader monitors share prices at the Philippine Stock Exchange in Manila's Makati financial district July 13, 2005. Moody's Investors Service said on Wednesday it had cut its sovereign outlook on the Philippines because crucial reforms to cut the country's budget deficit had been thrown into doubt by a political crisis. [Reuters]](xin_4307021315410032230918.jpg)
![Filipino protesters demonstrate against Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo along Manila's Makati financial district July 13, 2005. A huge protest promised by Philippine opposition groups began slowly under cloudy skies on Wednesday, as investors and analysts watched the crowd's size as a barometer of President Arroyo's future. [Reuters]](xin_0607021315449392487419.jpg)
![Thousands of Filipino protesters hold a demonstration against Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo along Manila's Makati financial district July 13, 2005. [Reuters]](xin_1707021316120102212720.jpg)
