MANILA — Police on Thursday detained former Defense Secretary Fortunato Abat a day after he declared himself head of a provisional government and urged the armed forces to withdraw their support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Abat, 80, was bundled into an unmarked police van and taken in for questioning with two other members of his self-proclaimed Cabinet to face possible charges of inciting to sedition, the authorities said.

There was no indication that either the military or the people were taking Abat’s call to overthrow Mrs. Arroyo very seriously, although rumors of a coup plot have been rife for weeks in Manila.

Although the government had considered Abat more of a nuisance than a security threat, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told reporters: “We have to do something because we cannot let the people feel there is a violation of law and nothing is being done.”

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Abat had urged the military and the public to support calls for the ouster of the President, who survived an impeachment vote in the House in September over allegations she cheated to win the May 2004 election.

Abat failed to rally popular support and the military said it remained loyal to Mrs. Arroyo.

Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo met with senior military commanders late Wednesday on her return from the East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“We cannot be too complacent about reports that we have received and [discussed] actions that have to be done,” he added.

Ten policemen from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) were sent to Club Filipino’s Waling-Waling Room, which Abat considered the seat of his Coalition for National Salvation.

Chief Insp. Victor Loong invited Abat for questioning at the CIDG National Capital Region headquarters in Camp Crame.

Former Ambassador Roy Señeres and lawyer Claro Serapio refused the invitation and insisted on being shown an arrest warrant.

When CIDG men could not show a warrant, Señeres told the police officers, “ We’re not coming. Sorry. We decline your invitation.”

Five minutes later, Senior Insp. Jacinto Malinaw received a telephone call, after which he told other CIDG personnel, “I’ve been told we have to take him.”

Serapio was dragged into a van. A calm and collected Abat volunteered to go with the police officers. Señeres and former Finance and Budget Secretary Salvador Enriquez followed Abat to the van.

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Supt. Leopoldo Bataoil said Abat’s group was subjected to a “citizen’s arrest.”

“This is a legal action of the CIDG and the investigation is going on. They were arrested on the basis of evidence on the ground. This is the mandate of the PNP. With or without instructions, any violation of law will be acted on,” Bataoil said.

After several hours at the CIDG-NCR (National Capital Region) office, Abat was taken to the PNP General Hospital, where his blood pressure was checked. His colleagues were left in the office.

In a statement entitled “I fear not the night before dawn,” Abat claimed he was arrested “because I dared to heed the longing cry of 8.5 million Filipinos for a man who would lead them out of the tyranny of corruption and incompetence of the present administration.”

State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco said the Department of Justice will study if Abat and his group will be charged with inciting to sedition.