Manila hotel raid over US attacks

Arroyo: refusing to be cowed by terrorism

Police in the Philippines raided a hotel in the capital Manila in connection with the terror attacks in the United States, President Gloria Arroyo has disclosed.

Officials with Mrs Arroyo initially said the raid was carried out on Friday, but later said it occurred Wednesday - the day after the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.

If we allow terror to paralyse us, to disrupt our work and disturb our lives, we shall have yielded to the intent of its perpetrators

Gloria Arroyo

The raid at the Bayview Hotel, which is near the US embassy, was conducted by authorities from both the Philippines and the US.

They were looking for three Omani nationals who had been seen suspiciously filming the embassy, an official said.

However, it was reported that the three men had already left the hotel when the raid occurred.

Bin Laden links

One senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Philippines was co-operating with the United States in looking for links between the attacks and "suspects" in the hotel.

Tributes have been laid at the US embassy in Manila too

A US Congressional Research Service report dating from Monday - the day before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon - identified the Philippines as one of 34 countries where followers of exiled Saudi millionaire Osama Bin Laden had cells.

Mr Bin Laden has emerged as the prime suspect in the US attacks.

In 1995, a suspect in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing was arrested at the Bayview Hotel.

Fear

Mrs Arroyo was speaking during an official visit to Japan.

She said she had considered cancelling her trip because of the "fear that now afflicts humanity", but that she was determined not to be cowed by terrorists.

"If we allow terror to paralyse us, to disrupt our work and disturb our lives, we shall have yielded to the intent of its perpetrators," she said.

"I assure all Filipinos and all our friends here in the country that every precaution has been taken to ensure the safety of our society and our institutions at this dark hour."