2006年VOA标准英语-Philippine Government to Decide Saturday W

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Manila
28 February 2006

Jailed rebel soldiers (in dark glasses and in black uniform) are escorted to their vehicle after a hearing at the Makati city court, east of Manila (Feb. 28, 2006)  
  
The Philippine government will make an assessment¹ Saturday on whether to continue the emergency rule declared by President Gloria Arroyo².  Meanwhile, a crackdown on government opponents continues.  Nearly 70 people have now been charged with rebellion.

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The Philippine government says it will "assess" the security situation in the country on Saturday, to decide whether or not to lift the state of emergency declared by President Gloria Arroyo last week.

The statement came after the Supreme³ Court said it would rule next week on the legality of the decree. 

Since Friday, nearly 70 people have been charged with rebellion, including congressman⁴, and military and police officers.

The Senate has condemned⁵ the decree.  Senate President Franklin Drillon says people's rights are being illegally suppressed.

"They have without any regard for the freedoms of the people, have tried to suppress freedom of expression, freedom of speech. Even in martial⁶ law, our civil rights, the bill of rights, are still in full effect," he says. 

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo  
  
The president says she acted to quash a coup⁷ plot being hatched by a group of disgruntled soldiers, and opponents from the left and right of the political spectrum⁸.

Mrs. Arroyo's government has interpreted the emergency as giving her powers to make arrests without warrants, and to take over facilities - including news organizations - if they are deemed a threat to national security.

Ironically, she issued the emergency decree as the country was commemorating⁹ the 20th anniversary of the "People Power" revolution that ousted¹⁰ the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who had ruled the country under martial law for 14 years.

Nevertheless, the chief presidential legal counsel, Eduardo Nachura, says the government is ready to defend Mrs. Arroyo's emergency decree.

He says the arrests without warrants that have taken place in recent days are legal and based on existing rules of the court.

Senator Mariam Defensor-Santiago argues that Mrs. Arroyo is going beyond the powers that a state of national emergency gives her.
 
"It has a chilling effect but during national emergency, the president or any other official has no power to limit the right of free expression, free speech, and free press," she says.

Just after the emergency decree was issued, police swooped¹¹ on an opposition¹² newspaper, confiscating¹³ documents, and threatening the publisher with possible rebellion charges.

The government says it will issue "guidelines" for the media to follow, and warned journalists not to report anything that might threaten national security.

The military has meanwhile sent 1,200 extra troops to a military base where on Sunday, there was a standoff between the government and around 200 marines.  The marines were angry over the removal of their commander, who had been implicated¹⁴ in a coup plot.

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

2 arroyo   

n.干涸的河床，小河

参考例句：

• She continued along the path until she came to the arroyo.她沿着小路一直走到小河边。
• They had a picnic by the arroyo.他们在干枯的河床边野餐过。

3 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

6 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

7 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

8 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

9 commemorating   

v.纪念，庆祝( commemorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was presented with a scroll commemorating his achievements. 他被授予一幅卷轴，以表彰其所做出的成就。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The post office issued a series commemorating famous American entertainers. 邮局发行了一个纪念美国著名演艺人员的系列邮票。 来自互联网

10 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

11 swooped   

俯冲，猛冲( swoop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The aircraft swooped down over the buildings. 飞机俯冲到那些建筑物上方。
• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it. 鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来，并把它杀死。

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

13 confiscating   

没收（confiscate的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• There was Mame by my side confiscating my intellects and attention. 有玛米坐在我身边，害得我心不在焉。
• Intimidate book sellers by confiscating books deemed unfavourable to the Barisan government. 充公被视为对国阵不利的书籍，威胁书商。

14 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》