MANILA -- The Philippine Army advised the public on Friday not to be alarmed by troop movements in Manila before a key presidential speech as rumors swirled of a brewing coup by disgruntled junior officers.

The unusual statement came as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo sought to play down concerns that a group of soldiers was seeking broader support within the 113,000-strong military for a plot to oust her government.

The Philippine democratic model mirrors the system in the United States, its former colonial ruler, but the army wields considerable influence, which it has used in the past to help remove two presidents -- Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada.

Arroyo, who is due to give a state of the nation address on Monday detailing her achievements and future policies, has urged the public to stay calm in a country where rumors and conspiracy theories are the order of the day.

Arroyo, elevated from vice-president in January 2001 when Estrada was forced to leave office by an army-backed popular revolt, has faced talk of coups several times over questions about her legitimacy as leader and corruption in her government, Reuters reported.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which is fighting a host of communist rebel groups in the overwhelmingly Christian country, said two companies -- about 180 men -- would move into the capital to bolster security for Arroyo's speech. "The AFP would like to inform the public that there is no cause for alarm," the statement said. "These movements are authorized and are sanctioned by the leadership of the AFP."

Security fears have also been heightened by the suspicious escape from national police headquarters of Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, an Indonesian Muslim militant accused of involvement in deadly bombings in Manila in December 2000. --------Arroyo Talks to Disgruntled Officers-----

Arroyo met a number of junior officers at the presidential palace on Thursday evening to hear their concerns about working conditions and calls for internal reforms.

Military officials said the arrival at the palace of four armored personnel carriers shortly after the meeting was part of a security drill and had nothing to do with the coup rumors.

"There has been some understandable restiveness but I have resolved the matter directly with the troops," Arroyo said in a statement on Friday.

Rumors that the grievances were escalating into a coup attempt were fueled by a ferry trip on Tuesday by 21 armed members of the army's elite Scout Rangers to Manila from the restive southern island of Mindanao.

The soldiers were briefly detained at the capital's port but allowed to proceed after producing what military officials said were proper documents and mission orders to go to Manila.

But one security risk analyst with close ties to the military said official explanations about legitimate movements by the Scout Rangers were not true. "There's been a lot of talk that some of the junior officers are trying to stage a coup but they don't think that the timing is right," the consultant told Reuters, adding there would be insufficient support from senior officers and the public. "They're not happy with their pay. There's no insurance for these guys getting shot down in Mindanao."

The military was accused of unchecked human rights abuses and corruption during the two-decade Marcos regime but turned against the dictator when popular anger became overwhelming in 1986.

The army has worked to burnish its image and professionalize its ranks but has not been able to shed allegations about graft and hand-in-glove deals with rebel groups.