Students protest at a rally in Quezon City, Manila. (Reuters)

Manila, Feb. 27 (Reuters): Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo stepped up a purge of suspected coup plotters today as police filed rebellion cases against 16 people, including a former hero of the 1986 “people power” uprising.

Arroyo appeared on television, a day after dozens of elite Marines briefly defied the state of emergency she ordered last Friday over a plot that allegedly included plans to kill her.

But the President, who survived an impeachment attempt last year over allegations of vote-rigging and graft, gave no sign of when emergency rule would be lifted. Instead, she revived an old pledge to improve the lot of the country’s demoralised military.

Defence secretary Avelino Cruz said the government would assess later today whether to end the state of emergency, which allows arrests without warrants and an extension of detention without charge. But he said: “We are not letting our guard down”.

Tensions receded after yesterday’s five-hour standoff at a Manila military base, where about 100 Marines had put on a show of force and called for public support over the dismissal of their commander for his alleged links to the plot.

Schools were closed for the day but it was otherwise business as usual in the capital, with offices and shops open and no troops in the streets.

Police said the 16 facing rebellion cases were six Leftist members of Congress, as well as active and retired soldiers. Three have been arrested already, including two Leftist congressmen detained on Saturday and today.

“The Leftist and the rightists movement have conspired to overthrow the duly constituted government, as evidenced by testimonial evidence and other pieces of electronic paraphernalia,” Virgilio Pablico, legal chief of the police’s criminal investigation arm, said.