Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will proceed to a visit to Europe as scheduled Saturday, despite a failed coup attempt by a group of renegade soldiers staged on Thursday.
Philippine Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Arroyo's seven-day trip to France, Spain and the United Kingdom would push through despite lingering security concerns.
The government crushed quickly a coup attempt launched by Antonio Trillanes, a former military officer-turned senator, and his followers at a luxury hotel in Makati City, the financial hub of the country.
Arroyo's stop in France includes a private visit to Lourdes, a Roman Catholic holy place, before proceeding to Madrid, Spain, to start a state visit.
Arroyo made another televised speech to the nation on the failed coup Friday evening, saying that the rule of law has prevailed and the group of renegade soldiers will "face the full force of the law."
"The people will not be transgressed without regard. They will be punished with the full strictness of the law," Arroyo said.
She also said that the said people involved in the failed rebellion showed that they were "desperate" and were "blind to the hopes and aspirations" of the masses, and Trillanes's group was only advancing their personal interests.
Arroyo also expressed her dismay over the incident at Makati that came at a time when the country's growth is at its fastest in20 years, as the country reported a 7.1 percent growth of GDP in the first three quarters of the year.
Source: Xinhua
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