Noli still supports me — GMA

President Arroyo remains confident that her second-in-command remains on her side as Malacañang dismissed fresh rumors of coup plots.

Vice President Noli de Castro has been a "very supportive vice president," the President said, adding that De Castro has been doing well in his task of relocating thousands of informal settlers from the North Rail area.

"That (relocation) is really a major challenge because, over many years, nobody could do it," Mrs. Arroyo said. "I’m very grateful that (De Castro is) spending a lot of time and energy on that."

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye also said the President is confident in the loyalty of the military and that the Palace will not pay too much attention to rumormongers.

Meanwhile, De Castro has again asked former senator Loren Legarda to wait for the results of the electoral protest she filed before the Supreme Court before issuing any media statements prejudging the case.

He said in a statement issued yesterday that he was the duly elected vice president in the 2004 elections and that he would respect whatever findings released by the SC sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET).

Legarda, who lost to De Castro in last year’s race, recently claimed that the Arroyo administration cannot solve its credibility issues even if De Castro succeeds the President in the event that she steps down or is removed from office.

She said De Castro’s victory in the elections is tainted in the same way that Mrs. Arroyo’s victory in the presidential race was due to alleged cheating.

De Castro said he will just wait for the decision of the PET on Legarda’s protest: "I am the legitimately elected vice president according to the constitutional process and only the Supreme Court can remove me from office."

He cautioned Legarda against making any prejudgments on the case to prevent confusion over the issue.

"The PET is the final arbiter of all questions about the elections. The electoral protest filed by Senator Legarda is already at the PET, so let us respect the hearings and process," he said.

De Castro figured in the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed 74 percent of respondents said they believe he is capable of running the country if Mrs. Arroyo is removed from office or steps down voluntarily.

The clamor for the President’s ouster built up over the past months following the release of allegedly wiretapped conversations between Mrs. Arroyo and an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) believed to be former commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

The conversations allegedly involved the rigging of the election results in favor of the administration.

"I assure everyone that I never lifted a finger to corrupt and frustrate the true sovereign will of the Filipino people in their choice for the vice presidency," De Castro said.

"If I cheated or thought about cheating during the last elections, my conscience would not allow me to stay even for a second at my present post," he added. — Aurea Calica and Marvin Sy