Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo won't declare martial law, her spokesman said Saturday, denying rumors that she will impose emergency measures to clamp down on opponents who claim she rigged last year's election. A text message sent to cellular telephones in the capital, Manila, and elsewhere on Friday claimed that Arroyo will declare martial law "on or before June 21," the day the House of Representatives starts hearings on an alleged wiretapped recording of the president and an election official talking about rigging the vote. Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye called the rumors a feeble attempt by Arroyo's opponents to discredit her. "The detractors of the administration are getting desperate," Bunye was quoted as saying by The Associated Press. "Having failed to drum up support through their unfounded accusations, they are now peddling disinformation to provoke the public, such as the martial law rumors."
