The Philippine government said on Tuesday it may lift emergency rule within days, but police geared up for more arrests of suspected plotters as fears lingered of an attempt to topple President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Petitions seeking to halt the emergency stumbled in the Supreme Court as the justices put off a hearing on whether Arroyo’s move was constitutional until next Tuesday. Arroyo imposed her order, granting broad powers of detention, after the discovery of what she said on Friday was a conspiracy by members of the opposition, communist groups and “military adventurists” to bring down her government. Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, who had pressed for an early lifting of the declaration to reassure the financial markets, told reporters there would be a meeting of the cabinet on Saturday to assess the security threat. “We will see if we can have a decision before or on Saturday. In the meantime we remain under emergency rule,” he said.Arroyo has said the situation is under control. But security officials said threats remained. —Reuters
