Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was taken to hospital today after reporting abdominal pain while attending a birthday party for her husband, officials said.

Police in the Philippine capital Manila went on heightened alert today, a day after authorities uncovered an alleged new coup plot against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and opposition groups called for a massive rally next week.

A third of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Cabinet quit en masse today and urged the Philippine leader to step down, saying she has been crippled by an election scandal and has lost the ability to lead.

A BOMB ripped through a bus in suburban Manila yesterday, killing at least three people and injuring 23 others.