President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo warned in a radio interview yesterday that she would not hesitate to use emergency powers again to fight groups seeking her ouster.

And we will also not hesitate to continue to contest such move through creative and non-violent concerted actions to ensure genuine freedom and democracy, was the answer of Cesar Villanueva of the "Concerned Negrosanons for Freedom and Democracy" yesterday.

Members of CONFREDEM, a coalition of groups and individuals opposing any reimposition of a state of national emergency and martial law, and calling on Arroyo to step down, are joining a prayer rally called by Bacolod Bishop Navarra to be held at the Bacolod Public Plaza this afternoon.

Navarra will read his pastoral letter seeking the "truth so that real and lasting peace will reign" and prayers will be said by sectoral representatives at the rally where a symbolic lighting of candles of hope will be held, Villanueva said.

About 20,000 people from various parts of Negros Occidental are expected to join the rally that will start with a march from four points in the city at 1 p.m., Villanueva said.

Bayan Negros was making coffins to symbolize the death of democracy for the protest march today, its secretary general Felipe Levy Gelle said.

Bacolod police director, Senior Supt. Pedro Merced, said the police will observe maximum tolerance, pointing out that even if the rallyists have no permit they can continue their activity at the Bacolod public plaza since it has been declared a freedom park.

Arroyo, in her interview over GMA Network's "Saksi sa BB" yesterday, reiterated that the conspiracy by left-wing and right-wing groups that the government quelled last week would have destroyed democracy in the Philippines if it had triumphed.

"The laws are there and, as I said when I lifted the state of emergency, I am monitoring events and I will not hesitate to do what needs to be done to uphold the law," Arroyo said.

"We should stop people who abuse their freedoms and install groups that will one day destroy those very freedoms -- the communists who conspire with the extreme right," Arroyo said.

The emergency decree of Arroyo gave the government powers to ban rallies, arrest people without warrants, and crack down on media, which House Minority Floor Leader Francis Escudero yesterday said is not allowed under the Constitution.

Raul Pangalangan, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law, yesterday insisted before the Supreme Court that it should decide on the constitutionality of the emergency declaration to prevent Arroyo from issuing a similar one in the future.

Arroyo, in her radio interview yesterday, also said she wants to work with political opponents but will not wait for their response.

"I am not withdrawing my call for unity, but I will not use up all my time and energy for that because I need to also pay attention to the economy," she said.*CPG

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