Hundreds of Philippine police and soldiers guarded a Catholic shrine in Manila on Wednesday in case of large-scale anti-government rallies, just weeks after authorities put down an armed rebellion by renegade soldiers. Security officials said the deployment at the EDSA shrine, the focus of “people power” revolts that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos and president Joseph Estrada, had begun on Tuesday night. “These are mere precautionary measures undertaken to anticipate any projected activity,” Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes told reporters. “There are relentless rumors of another coup attempt,” he added. “We put people there because there is information they would occupy the EDSA shrine and even adjoining buildings like the Asian Development Bank,” said armed forces chief General Narciso Abaya. Full Story