Pearce was trapped in her apartment in the Oakwood complex when rebel Philippines troops accused of plotting a coup took control of the building and planted explosives around it.

She was later freed from the building along with a number of other expatriates, including another embassy official and his family and four Australian Federal Police agents.

A spokesman for Howard said Pearce told the prime minister that none of the people she had been with in the building had been harmed.

"She assured him that everybody was okay and that she was okay," the spokesman said.

Pearce told Howard she believed it was a coincidence that the soldiers had targeted a building where Australians were staying. "She believed that the involvement of the Australians was incidental," the spokesman said.

Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty said Australia would consider sending forces to the Philippines to assist its authorities gain control of the military revolt there.

He also said he had spoken to Australian police officers caught up in the revolt with ambassador Pearce and there was no immediate cause for alarm.

"They are calm, they said the situation is calm, there's no need for panic," Keelty told Channel Seven.

Keelty said before the release of the Australians that a counter-terrorist response group would meet on Sunday to coordinate a response that could involve sending forces to assist the Philippines authorities.

"That would be a matter that would be considered by the counter-terrorist response group, but it may well not be required," he added.

"It may well be that the Philippines national police and the Philippines military can get control of the situation which obviously will be the desired outcome," Keelty said.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for his part denounced an alleged coup plot in the Philippines which temporarily left his country's ambassador to Manila caught up in an apartment complex seized by rebel soldiers.

"We regard it as entirely unacceptable," Downer, who was in Singapore for bilateral meetings, told journalists Sunday.

"It couldn't have come at a worse time," Downer said, noting that Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's government was engaged in a campaign to curb terrorism.

Downer said he regarded the military revolt in Manila as a coup attempt.

WAR.WIRE