Filipinos warned of new attacks

(Agence France-Presse): President Gloria Arroyo on Tuesday warned of "collateral terrorist attacks" in the Philippines as a U.S.-led war with Iraq appeared imminent, even as she held out hope for a last-minute peaceful resolution of the crisis.

In a radio address shortly after U.S. President George W. Bush gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to flee Iraq or face war, Arroyo placed the onus of peace on the Iraqi leader without expressly supporting the U.S. position.

"We keep our hopes high that the precarious situation can be resolved by a consensus of the international community and pray that Saddam Hussein will take all steps to avert war and pave the way for a peaceful resolution of the conflict," she said.

She added: "We must be proactive against collateral terrorist attacks."

Arroyo met her cabinet on Tuesday to mobilize the "whole government machinery" including the military and police to protect the public interest.

"I call on the private sector, civil society and indeed all our citizens to cooperate and coordinate with them in safeguarding our communities," she said.

"Up to this time, peace remains the best option," she said.

The president said she would meet with the advisory National Security Council on Tuesday to "firm up our political consensus to meet a possible outbreak of hostilities."

The Philippines, which hosts small numbers of U.S. mihtary advisers providing anti-terrorist training to local forces, has suffered a series of terror bombings in recent months.

A bomb at the Davao airport in the south this month claimed 21 lives and injured more than 150 people. An American soldier was killed in a bomb blast in the southern city of Zamboanga in October last year.

Arroyo said contingency measures have been put in place in the case of war and government had stockpiled "more than enough oil, rice and essential public needs."

She also instructed the foreign office to take all measures to ensure the safety of some 1.5 million Filipino workers in the Middle East who may be affected by war.