Philippine gov't warns against possible coups

The Philippine government warned Sunday that the "full force of the law" will be used against those calling for people and military support to force President Benigno S. Aquino III to resign and to install a "transition government."

Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that a junta by any other sanitized name is still illegal and unconstitutional.

"The government will not relent in applying the full force of the law against them in order to protect the people and the State from an unconstitutional and illegal power grab," she said in a statement.

There were growing calls for Aquino to resign following the tragic encounter between the police Special Action Force commandos and alleged combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest Muslim rebel group in the country, in Mamasapano town, southern Philippine province of Maguindanao on Jan. 25, resulting the death of 44 police troopers.

De Lima specifically warned the members of the so-called National Transformation Council (NTC), the group which has been calling for Aquino's resignation.

According to her, NTC is composed of disgruntled allies of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former officials, politicians and members of the Catholic clergy who are also identified with the former president.

Arroyo, who is the incumbent congresswoman in northern province of Pampanga, has been under hospital arrest as she has been facing plunder case for alleged misuse of government funds during her presidency.

"The NTC's pronouncements and publicly declared strategy for the capture of state power through active military support to the NTC are therefore acts which already constitute conspiracy or proposal to commit rebellion and coup d' etat," De Lima said. Endi