A thousands-strong rally protest looms on Saturday after a Philippine former intelligence official claimed himself the "mother of all tapes" recording the alleged conversation between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and an election commissioner.

A group representing various sectors of society including the religious, Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME), told reporters that thousands of people will attend Saturday's rally in Manila for the National Day of Mourning.

Deogracias Iniguez, one of the members of the KME, said that the rally would call for the attention and solution of the government to the deteriorating political and economic situations in the country rather than ousting President Arroyo as earlier reported.

However, transportation group PISTON, which will organize about 1,500 members to join the rally, said that they would protest the controversies and scandals against the Arroyo's administration and demand the resignation of the president.

Thousands of more policemen and soldiers, who have already deployed to secure the capital upon the Saturday's rally, will remain red alert on Sunday, the Philippines' 107th year celebration of Independence Day, for another anti-government mass protest.

The public anger was feared to be lighted again after a former official of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Friday night stood up to admit that he was the one who owned the tapes containing the wiretapped conversations allegedly of President Arroyo and election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano last year concerning cheating in the elections.

The former deputy director of the NBI intelligence services, Samuel Ong, said in a press briefing that an officer of the Intelligence Services of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) gave to him the tape last March 2005.

Ong said that he, who were fearful after playing the tape, decided to copy at least three tapes from the original and give them to "three worthy brothers," two military officers and a prominent figure in the Church.

However, he said that he didn't know how the tape was leaked.

While the government remains silent on the disclosure of Ong, Susan Roces, widow of the late Fernando Poe Jr., who lost election to President Arroy, congratulated Ong for his bravery in coming out in the open.

Source: Xinhua