The military says President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is "firmly in the saddle" yesterday as her officials warn danger is still present after an alleged attempt to topple the government.

Ten days before key local and congressional elections, Defence Secretary Angelo Reyes said Friday the military is fully behind Arroyo and "the situation has greatly stabilised" at the end of a week of coup rumors and political violence.

His statement to DZRH radio came after the government accused opposition leaders of plotting to kill Arroyo and her jailed predecessor, Joseph Estrada, to seize power.

"We don't know whether the calm that we have now is the eye of the storm," Justice Secretary Hernando Perez told a Supreme Court hearing for two politicians accused of involvement in Tuesday's attempt by 50,000 Estrada backers to storm the presidential palace. "We have intelligence reports that all is not well."

The plot allegedly involved blaming the government for Estrada's planned death, Perez said.

The powerful Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin also offered support to Arroyo, a close ally, Friday.

"Less than what you did would have been weakness," he wrote in a letter to Arroyo. "More than what you did would have been authoritarianism. You exercised magnanimity and admirable tolerance toward the rallyists even if they were attacking you personally."

Meanwhile, police continued to search for fugitive opposition leaders, accused of inciting rebellion, while one opposition candidate asked election officials to postpone May 14 local and congressional elections.

National Security Adviser Roilo Agolez said Friday police received numerous tips, most of them mistaken or false, on the whereabouts of opposition Senate candidates Gregorio Honasan and Panfilo Lacson, the former national police chief.

Arroyo declared a "state of rebellion," giving police power to arrest without warrant, Tuesday after clashes between Estrada supporters and security forces left six dead and

more than 100 wounded.

Arroyo then ordered the arrest of 11 opposition leaders, accusing them of inciting the violence. She said she will cancel the state of rebellion order on Monday.

At least four of the 11, including reelectionist Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, are in custody amid election campaigning for 3,500 Senate, House of Representatives and municipal seats nationwide. The elections are widely seen as a proxy war between Arroyo and her jailed predecessor.

Arroyo briefly visited Estrada in his cell south of Manila on Thursday. It was the first time the two met face to face since Sept. 26 before Arroyo resigcused of pocketing millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks during 31 months in office.

Authorities said Thursday that police may also arrest two of Estrada's sons on accusations of inciting the crowd to violence. Another sons was jailed last week with his father, both on the capital offense of plunder.