Palace: Arroyo’s enemies ‘stir up hysteria’

Malacañang on Tuesday said President Arroyo's political opponents were desperately trying to “stir up hysteria" against the government. “There is an obvious attempt by some sectors to stir up hysteria rather than sobriety," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a statement. “We urge our people to trust our system of laws and the institutions that continue to serve them with complete sincerity and concern for their welfare," Bunye said. There would be less criticisms against Proclamation 1017 if the people know the “inside story" on the foiled coup attempt last month, he said. “At this time of a growing economy, we must tone down the political heat and revert to normalcy so that tourists and investors will continue to head our way," Bunye said. He sought to assure the public that “the government is in full control and has not transgressed legal boundaries in exercising its right to thwart the enemies of democracy." Bunye issued the statement as lawyers, including a former Supreme Court justice, told a Senate panel that Mrs. Arroyo can be held liable for arbitrary acts by the police and the military in implementing Proclamation 1017. Bunye said the public and Arroyo’s critics should understand that there was a clear and present danger at the time when the declaration was made and President Arroyo “confronted it with commensurate force and vigilance but adhering closely to Constitutional standards." “We respect what people have to say about the declaration of the state of emergency but we are certain that as the whole story unfolds about the broad conspiracy to tear down democratic government, they will understand that the President acted just in time and in commensurate measure in the interest of national security and stability," Bunye said. "If the President did not act as she did, we could now be living in a regime where power comes out of the barrel of a gun," he said. Malacañang last week presented a documentary detailing a conspiracy among rightist soldiers, communist rebels and some opposition politicians to overthrow the Arroyo administration. A crackdown within the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police for coup plotters followed while authorities issued warrants of arrests against suspected communist leaders. – GMANews.TV