No warrantless arrests, DOJ says

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez assured the public yesterday that authorities would not make arrests without legal warrants against people suspected of involvement in anti-government plots.

"We don’t run amuck," Gonzalez told a news forum at the Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City. "No indiscriminate arrests."

Although there are some exceptions to the law regarding arrest warrants, Gonzalez said there are also strict procedures in arresting persons involved in plots against the government. "There will be no shortcuts," he said.

Gonzalez made the statement amid reports that the government was preparing to arrest several key opposition leaders.

Text messages began circulating yesterday that President Arroyo was planning to impose martial law before June 21 in an effort to quell calls for her resignation.

According to the rumors, two retired police officials who are now holding sensitive positions in the government have been tasked to carry out "special operations" against the political opposition once martial law is declared.

The text messages also detailed supposed plans to shut down media and mobile phone facilities to facilitate the arrest of prominent opposition figures.

Gonzalez dismissed the text messages as nonsense, however.

"This is the first time I heard about that," he said. "I should be the first person to know if the President (plans to) declare martial law."

Retired general and former defense secretary Fortunato Abat earlier led a group called Coalition for National Salvation in calling for Mrs. Arroyo to step down before June 25 "to avoid a possible outbreak of civil war."

Abat and his group had announced their plans to launch a "Solidarity march to Malacañang" to force Mrs. Arroyo to quit.

Gonzalez, on the other hand, downplayed Abat’s calls. He noted the former defense secretary is too old to be prosecuted for sedition.

In the same forum, Gonzalez reiterated his warning against people possessing copies of the controversial audio recording detailing wiretapped conversations, allegedly between the President and an election official.

Gonzalez pointed out there is a law that punishes a person for possessing copies of wiretapped conversations.

Copies of the wiretapped conversation, purportedly between the President and a certain "Gary" of the Commission on Elections, were distributed to the media last week. Compact disc versions of the recordings were reportedly being peddled on the streets for P5 a copy.

Gonzalez stressed mere possession of a copy of the wiretapped conversation constitutes a crime.

"A crime has been committed (so) that the government is duty-bound to investigate and file the necessary charges," Gonzalez said.