Philippines ? President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo lifted a week-old state of emergency today, after her security advisers assured her that the threat of a coup had eased.

Arroyo declared the emergency a week ago to quash a coup plot allegedly involving disgruntled soldiers, communist rebels and civilian backers. On Thursday, the defense, justice and police chiefs said they would recommend lifting the decree because the situation was normalizing.

Opposition and civil activists have warned that political freedoms were being eroded.