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Security tight for Arroyo speech Arroyo lays out economic agenda
(about 5 hours later)
Police have stepped up security in the Philippine capital, Manila, ahead of President Gloria Arroyo's state of the nation address. Philippine President Gloria Arroyo has set out her agenda for her last three years in office, as thousands of protesters gathered in Manila.
The speech - Ms Arroyo's annual chance to set out her achievements and policies for the future - is expected to focus on economic development. Ms Arroyo used her annual State of the Nation address to list her government's economic successes and promise greater opportunities for the poor.
The president is expected to stress rapid growth, expanding infrastructure and rising foreign investment. She pledged to try to bring peace to the troubled south, and also defended a controversial new anti-terror law.
Thousands of riot police and protesters have gathered around Congress. Security was tight as some 3,000 people protested about her time in office.
The demonstrators, some of them carrying effigies, accuse Ms Arroyo of fraud in the 2004 presidential polls. Ms Arroyo has long been dogged by allegations of fraud during the 2004 election, as well as human rights abuses.
Terrorism law A 4m (13ft) effigy of her as a witch was burned by the protesters, who were prevented from gathering too close to the House of Representatives where Ms Arroyo was delivering her speech.
Some Filipinos have also been angered by a tough new anti-terrorism law which came into effect earlier this month. Political killings
The Human Security Act allows the government to detain suspects for up to three days without charge, use wiretaps and also seize suspects' assets. Ms Arroyo told the joint session of Congress that her reforms to strengthen the economy had been adopted "at great cost to me in public disapproval".
The government says the law will help it to tackle militant groups, such as Abu Sayyaf. But critics, including the Roman Catholic Church, fear the law could be used to quell legitimate political dissent in the country. "But I would rather be right than popular," said the president, whose term in office is due to end in 2010.
As well as the economy, Ms Arroyo is expected to stress continued efforts to agree a peace deal with the country's largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). I would rather be right than popular President Arroyo
The Philippine military believes MILF rebels were behind the killing of 14 marines in the south of the country earlier this month. Ms Arroyo promised record funding for both "human and physical" infrastructure, to boost business confidence, create jobs and improve education, health and welfare.
Ms Arroyo's term is due to end in 2010. And she said she hoped the Philippines would be able to join the ranks of wealthy nations in 20 years.
"By then, poverty shall have been marginalised, and the marginalised raised to a robust middle-class," she said.
Ms Arroyo, who was making her seventh annual address, said her government would also be pouring resources into efforts to bring peace to Mindanao region, where a Muslim insurgency is being fought.
She defended the Human Security Act, introduced earlier this month, which allows the government to detain suspects for up to three days without charge, use wiretaps and seize suspects' assets.
But she also called for legislation to deal with a spate of political killings that have brought international criticism to her presidency.