MANILA -- The PNP yesterday detained four police officers and filed charges against 16 opposition figures for allegedly trying to overthrow the government, as President Gloria Arroyo widened a crackdown against alleged coup plotters.

Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco, who was sacked Friday as head of an elite paramilitary police unit, and three of his men were "placed under restrictive custody" amid reports they were recruiting people for a coup plot, national police chief Arturo Lomibao said.

At the same time, police filed charges of rebellion and attempting a coup d'etat before the Department of Justice against 16 opposition figures, including House of Representatives members Crispin Beltran, Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Rafael Mariano, Joel Virador and Teodoro Casino.

Also on the list of those facing charges was former senator Gregorio Honasan, an ex-army colonel who in the 1980s led several coup attempts against the government, said Chief Superintendent Jesus Versoza, head of police criminal investigations.

Honasan's whereabouts were unknown.

Others charged are Jose Ma. Sison - founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, First Lieutenants Laurence San Juan, Patricio Bumidang Jr., Second Lieutenants Aldrin Baldonado and Angelbert Gay, Christopher Belmonte - San Juan's lawyer, former military rebel leaders retired Brig. Gen. Jake Malajacan and Navy Capt. Felix Turingan.

The charges, which carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, came a day after about 100 members of the Marines, led by decorated combat veteran, Colonel Ariel Querubin, holed up at their headquarters in a defiant stand against Arroyo.

They were protesting the sacking of their commandant, Major-General Renato Miranda, who had apparently taken the heat for his subordinate's political actions.

The standoff ended peacefully late Sunday when the Marines returned to barracks but Arroyo's spokesman said the incident forced her to extend the "state of emergency" which she declared Friday, to quell what her advisers said was a coup plot hatched by leftist groups and military "adventurists."

"I believe the public will understand that the lifting of Proclamation 1017 will be slightly delayed," spokesman Ignacio Bunye said on radio, referring to the emergency declaration.

He did not say how long the state of emergency would be extended but assured the public that the order was temporary.

Yesterday, Arroyo went on national television after meeting with her Cabinet and defended the crackdown as a "steep price for political mischief."

"We will work triply hard to ensure our momentum and minimize the economic fallout of events like the coup," Arroyo said. Philippine share prices closed 0.94 percent higher yesterday, as strong results from Philippine Long Distance Telephone offset damage from the continuing political turmoil, dealers said.

The peso traded at 52.14 to the dollar as of mid-day, up from 52.20 on Friday when it traded at its lowest level in nearly a month.

"It appears that the incident that occurred over the weekend didn't shake and stir the market," Nestor Aguila of DA Market Securities said.*AFP

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The Philippine National Police yesterday filed rebellion/insurrection charges against 51 top leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines and other personalities, including four party-list representatives, allegedly involved in the attempt to overthrow President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a press release from Malacañang also said yesterday.

Charged for violation of Article 134 in relation to Article 135 of the Revised Penal Code (rebellion/insurrection) were:

Jose Maria Sison, aka Joma; Luis Jalandoni, spouses Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, Rafael Mariano, party-list Representatives Satur Ocampo, Crispin Beltran, Teodoro Casino and Liza Maza;

CPP-NPA spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal, Joel Virador of Bayan Muna; Tirso Alcantara, Benjamin Mendoza, Vic Ladlad, Bayan secretary general Nathaniel Santiago, Sotero Llamas, Julio Atienza, Edilberto Escudero, Rosemarie Domanais, Rogelio Villanueva, Leo Velasco;

Rafael Baylosis, Prudencio Calubid, Philip Limjoco, Julius Giron, Allan Jasminez, Antonio Cabanatan, Fidel Agcaoili, Edilberto Silva, Maria Concepcion Araneta Bocala, Jorge Madlos, Eugenia M. Topacio, Francisco Fernandez, Carlos Borjal, Elizabeth Principe, Juliet Sison;

Randal Enchaniz, Rey Claro Casandre, Edwin Alcid, Tita Lubi, Abdias Guadiana, Mike Gamara, alias Ka Selbio, alias Kim, alias Tasio, alias Randy, alias Rosa/Sisa/Isid, alias Novo, alias Elya, alias Rose, and several other John and Jane Does.

Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuno said that investigation conducted by the PNP-CIDG and the National Bureau of Investigation showed that the accused participated in the attempt to overthrow the President.

He said that investigation showed that Sison, in conspiracy with the other accused, had drawn up a three-year plan (2003-2005) to step up the CPP's rebellion or so-called people's war and "make all around advances in the revolution."

Zuno added that records showed that the suspects planned to oust the President by launching a three-stage people's war, to include the setting up of armed city partisans and broadening its legal fronts, the Malacañang press release said.*

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