Manila  - When Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo delivers her annual state-of-the-nation address in Congress next week, only one question will be on everybody's minds: Will it be her last?

Monday's speech is to be Arroyo's ninth state of the nation since she was catapulted into the presidency in January 2001 by a mass uprising, and it should be her final congressional address as her term is set to expire in June.

But critics, political opponents and even some allies said they believe the 62-year-old economist would want to hang on to power amid efforts in Congress to amend the country's constitution, which would postpone next year's presidential election.

There are also unconfirmed reports that Arroyo would run for a seat in Congress in 2010, which could allow her to become prime minister if plans to convert the Philippines' form of government from a presidential to parliamentary system are enacted.

Various groups are planning to hold large street demonstrations Monday to bid Arroyo goodbye and ensure that she gets the message that this should be her last state-of-the-nation address.

"We call on the people to register ever more clearly our opposition to moves to keep her beyond 2010," said Renato Reyes, secretary general of the leftist group Bayan. "We call on the people to make a stand against nine years of poverty, corruption, repression and subservience to foreign dictates."

Reyes noted that Arroyo has failed to fulfill all her promises and targets, such as the creation of 10 million jobs for Filipinos by 2010, food on every Filipino's table, poverty reduction and peace in the conflict-wracked southern region of Mindanao.

Instead, millions of Filipinos go overseas to find work, including in high-risk areas such as Iraq and Afghanistan, while millions more are jobless in the Philippines.

While economic growth had been at its highest under Arroyo, the country's poverty rate has remained high with 33 per cent of the country's 90 million people living on less than 1 dollar a day. The prices of food and other basic goods have also gone up.

The discontent with Arroyo has become so widespread that a June public opinion survey showed that 56 per cent of Filipinos are dissatisfied with her performance, compared with 26 per cent who described themselves as satisfied.

In 2007, a nationwide survey found that Filipinos believe Arroyo is "the most corrupt" president the Philippines ever had, worse than the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was accused of stealing at least 5 billion dollars from the nation's coffers.

"We say, enough of the lies and deception," Reyes said. "It's time for her to go."

Aides said Arroyo was not expected to tackle the allegations of her wanting to cling to power during Monday's speech but would reassure the public that there would be elections next year while highlighting her legacy since she took over the presidency.

Presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said the congressional address was not the "proper forum to respond to speculations, especially speculations that are neither backed by facts nor even by intended good faith or good will."

He added that Arroyo would not push for constitutional amendments during her speech, which is also called an SONA, and would instead discuss her vision for political reforms, the need to strengthen political institutions and democracy at the grassroots level.

"It is time to have a deeper discussion on how politics have been conducted in this country, including the level of political dialogue," he said, "and the SONA is a proper venue to do that - not to answer baseless speculations but to talk about issues that matter."

Political columnist Marlen Ronquillo said the address could be an opportunity for Arroyo to "wipe out the accumulated resentment/anger of nine years and would enable [her] to exit, pardon the cliche, in a blaze of glory."

He said that with a great speech, Arroyo "can put some shine into her tarnished presidency" amid persistent allegations of corruption, failed promises, abuses and fraud that ensured her victory in the 2004 presidential elections.

He wrote in his column in the Manila Times newspaper that a good address would be easy to write if it included a promise for elections to be held next year, a rejection of amending the constitution and a pledge by Arroyo to leave office in 2010.

He urged Arroyo to call on Congress to speed up the passage of proposed political reforms, including a bill on anti-dynasty, political-party strengthening and campaign finance reforms.

"With those three paragraphs, Mrs Arroyo will not only earn the praise from a population that right now rates her worse than Marcos," Ronquillo wrote. "The windfall from saying the unexpected will be immense and universal." (dpa)