Assassins targetting family, Arroyo claims

An assassination team was targetting the family of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo particularly her eldest son, Jose Miguel…

An assassination team was targetting the family of Philippine President Gloria Arroyo particularly her eldest son, Jose Miguel Arroyo, the president said today.

"We have a received an intelligence report that there is a nine-man liquidation squad that is targetting my family for assassination and that the prime target is my son, Mikey," Ms Arroyosaid, using her son's nickname.

She said in a radio interview that the police intelligencereport shown to her detailed the threats to kill or kidnap her sonsometime between April 29th and May 2nd.

The 54-year-old mother of three did not say who was behind theplot. But she said it was intended to coincide with the May 1stattempt by followers of her jailed predecessor Joseph Estrada tostorm the presidential palace.

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Ms Arroyo has said the riot at the presidential palace was part ofa plot by Estrada allies to topple her and install a junta.

Ms Arroyo took office in January after a popular revolt toppledEstrada from amid a growing corruption scandal. Estrada was laterjailed on economic plunder charges.

AFP