Authorities are now moving in to flush out remaining supporters of these groups before Mrs. Arroyo’s annual State of the Nation Address before Congress this month, Bunye said.
"The operational capability of these power-grabbers has been crippled," he said in a statement, adding that the threat has abated.
He said it was now "time to finish off their whole network of underground supporters, including their financiers, to make sure that there are no residual cells that can make any more mischief and in the process destroy the lives and careers of young military officers."
Bunye said authorities have the full support of the people in dealing with the alleged coup plotters and their civilian supporters, "for what is at stake here is not only our political and economic security but our freedom and the life of our cherished democratic institutions."
Troops and police on Friday arrested six military officers and two civilians in a raid as they were allegedly plotting to bomb the House of Representatives when Mrs. Arroyo delivers her speech on July 24.
The men belonged to a group called Magdalo, a military fraternity that played a key role in an alleged plot against Mrs. Arroyo in February and a failed mutiny in 2003.
Seized from the group were firearms, bombs and a blueprint of the House, authorities said. Charges of illegal possession of firearms and rebellion were filed against the men over the weekend.
Bunye said the government believes the public remains behind Mrs. Arroyo. Her popularity has steadily fallen since she admitted that she called an election official during the canvassing of the ballots for the May 2004 vote.
She has repeatedly denied trying to rig the election and beat an impeachment complaint last year. However, her opponents have revived the case.
In February, Mrs. Arroyo placed the country under a state of emergency after uncovering what she said was a plot between communist rebels, military officers and politicians to unseat her and replace her with a junta.
"Maybe the President is just lucky that these things are coming out now. But these are not orchestrated," he said.
Defensor added that these new developments will justify Mrs. Arroyo’s issuance of Proclamation 1017, which put the country in a state of emergency.
He said the President will leave it to authorities to deal with arrested Magdalo officers and their supporters.
"Her focus now is no longer politics but fixing the economy because whatever we do, as long as the people remain poor and jobless, we will still end up losers in the end because of the lack of trust from the people," Defensor said.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said movements of suspected civilian supporters and financiers of the Magdalo group are being monitored by authorities. He did not elaborate.
Defensor, however, said the government is being careful in investigating businessmen and political supporters and assured the public that "there will be no witchhunt."
Mrs. Arroyo earlier warned that the long arm of the law will catch up with groups bent on overthrowing the government by force and those found guilty of this will be "locked up and punished."
"There is unquestionable public support for democracy and a deep abhorrence of extra-constitutional adventurism," she said.
Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio said the arrest of the Magdalo fugitives did not uncover a bigger conspiracy or a greater threat because the suspects and others subject to investigation were the same ones known or suspected to have been behind Feb. 24’s failed coup attempt.
He said there is no indication that the suspected coup plotters had won any "significant additional adherents or allies" since they escaped earlier this year.
Claudio said there is enough reason to believe that "the most serious threat and obstacle to our stability has been removed or neutralized and the arrests will now definitely make for a more stable and secure political environment."
The Philippine National Police (PNP), on the other hand, is looking at the plot by the six Magdalo soldiers as part of a grand plan to "overthrow not only (Mrs.) Arroyo but the government and replace them."
PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Director Jesus Verzosa said "the group behind the grand plan apparently took cue from what happened in a country in South America, where the whole parliament was taken hostage."
According to Verzosa, the plan was apparently to hold hostage Mrs. Arroyo, lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives, other government officials and diplomats during the President’s State of the Nation Address.
PNP-CIDG personnel are gathering evidence to prove the existence of this grand plan and support the filing of criminal charges in court.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said he will meet with Lim today to "find out if he knows something, then we could ask questions. We want to find out everything that he knows" about his alleged involvement in the plot to oust Mrs. Arroyo.
Gonzalez said this meeting will hopefully clear the air for Lim and enable the government to weed out those involved in the purported coup plot.
"I hope what Lim would say would help us. There could be some patriotism left in him," he said.
In a related development, Señeres gave a four-page sworn statement to the National Bureau of Investigation in line with the NBI’s ongoing probe into the failed Feb. 24 coup attempt.
As a result of a five-hour closed-door investigation, NBI acting director Nestor Mantaring said they will summon journalist Cecilio Arillo next. NBI-Special Task Force (STF) chief Reynaldo Esmeralda said that according to Señeres’ testimony, Arillo reportedly acted as a "go-between" for former executive secretary Oscar Orbos with opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Lim.— Paolo Romero, Aurea Calica, Cecille Suerte Felipe, James Mananghaya, Evelyn Macairan, Ding Cervantes, Jose Rodel Clapano, AFP