MANILA, Philippines -- Confronted with accusations that the threat to the life and safety of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was a scare tactic used by the administration, Malacañang said Friday communist rebels were behind the assassination plot allegedly to be carried out Saturday during the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming.

Ms Arroyo canceled her appearance at the PMA.

"There's a very high level of threat," said Brig. Gen. Romeo Prestoza, head of the Presidential Security Group, denying that the PSG was "playing politics."

Prestoza told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) that seven SOGs--a military term for special operations groups--had been deployed by the New People's Army to kill the President after she ordered an intensified drive to end communist insurgency until she ends her term in June 2010.

Prestoza, however, denied that the security threat coming from members of the PMA or rogue elements in the military could have prompted the Palace to cancel her PMA speech.

Ms Arroyo is an adopted member of Class 1978, one of the hosts of this year's alumni gathering.

The other members of that class are Prestoza and police Senior Supt. Paul Mascariñas, the officer who was with the group at the airport that "abducted" Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr., a key witness in the controversial National Broadband Network (NBN) deal.

Detained Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who graduated from the US West Point in 1977, is also on the 1978 roster.

The Philippine National Police also brushed aside suspicions that revelations of an assassination plot against Ms Arroyo were meant to divert the public's attention from the ZTE scandal.

Written in Arabic

"We saw a document and we are verifying the information there... We are also addressing concerns like antiterrorism and anticriminality. That is our overall objective--to maintain peace and order," PNP Director General Avelino Razon Jr. Friday told reporters in Camp Crame.

He revealed that the document, written in Arabic, established that "some areas were being cased" in the plot.

"We are a little worried about this because it concerns the movements of the President," Razon said.

No partisan politics

PNP spokesjman Senior Supt. Nicanor Bartolome denied that the supposed assassination plot was aimed at deflecting attention from the ZTE scandal.

"The PNP is a professional organization. We will not get involved in partisan politics," Bartolome said.

Razon said the police had no intention of making the document public until Prestoza was asked why the President had canceled her trip to Baguio.

"Silently, we are working on the threat. If this wasn't mentioned Friday, we would have continued our verification silently...this kind of information should not have been made public especially if the President is involved," he said.

Business as usual

Despite the threat to her life, the President is pushing through with the inspection of an airport and the inauguration of a school building today in Binalonan, Pangasinan.

Prestoza said he had given the Presidential Protocol and Appointments Offices, the two Palace bodies in charge of Ms Arroyo's daily schedules, clearance to go ahead with the Pangasinan trip.

"Mabilisan lang 'yan (It will be fast), so I gave my clearance for the trip after assessing that the PSG can still provide ample protection," he said, noting that Ms Arroyo had been going around Metro Manila in the past days because her "activities didn't last long."

Prestoza was dismayed that those "supposedly bright and responsible people" were trying to discredit the assassination attempt.

"The seven teams have very high capability and very good service supports. Di alam kung sino gagamitin kaya di determine san sila gagawa (We don't know which one of the seven SOGs will be used, so we don't know where they will strike)," he said.

He said the PSG and intelligence community had monitored some of the teams in Baguio City and Northern Luzon, including Banaue.

Baguio itinerary

Prestoza said he advised the President against going up to Baguio City because of "serious threats against her life."

Ms Arroyo, he said, "accepted this."

The President's original itinerary would have taken her to the City of Pines Friday afternoon where she was to lead the groundbreaking of a school building project. She was also scheduled to speak before the PMA Alumni Association Saturday.

In a separate interview, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita confirmed the threat, citing the document, written in Arabic, discovered by Razon.

"Definitely, you can't be cavalier about it," Ermita said. "It's better to err on the part of security than not prepared for it. Remember 9/11? The American Central Intelligence Agency was said to have failed to coordinate with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)."

Don't blame Palace, says Bunye

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the Palace should not be blamed for revealing the threat against the President following calls for her resignation.

"But you were the ones asking... you were looking for General Prestoza," Bunye told reporters, recalling that Prestoza had disclosed the assassination attempt in an ambush interview after Ms Arroyo was serenaded by Richard Carpenter.

He said Prestoza was "merely sitting in one corner" of Kalayaan Hall in Malacañang where the event was held when he was interviewed by the media.

Bunye said the PSG could not be faulted for taking extra precautions, including limiting the President's movements, "because if you don't pay attention to these things, and then something happens [to the President], imagine the [finger-pointing that follows]."