BREAKING NEWS: TRILLANES DEFIANT, TOOK OVER A HOTEL AS COUP BASE
MANILA, NOVEMBER 29, 2007 (STAR) 03:06 PM - Sen. Antonio Trillanes today said that his group is just leading the people to what they want after taking the second floor of the Peninsula Hotel as their temporary base."I can assure you , we have enough will power and fighting spirit to bring this government down," Trillanes told reporters as he came out of the room he currently shares with Gen. Danny LIm and other supporters.
"The people have now a choice; Gloria o pagbabago (change)," Trillanes adds.
Trillanes and his group walked out of the Makati Regional Trial Court this morning during a hearing on the Oakwood Mutiny a few years back.
They immediately walked towards the Manila Peninsula Hotel and took the second floor as base which led to guests vacating the hotel.
Trillanes and company defies 3 p.m. deadline for surrender Thursday, November 29, 2007 04:00 PM
Several military officers defied a deadline to surrender after they took over an upscale hotel and demanded President Gloria Arroyo to resign.
Joined by other dissident officers and leaders from the opposition and the left, they were clearly trying to foster the Philippines third "people power" revolt, making phone calls and sending cell phone text messages seeking to generate crowds to support them.
But as the day wore on, few people turned out for the latest effort to oust Mrs. Arroyo, who has survived at least three coup plots and three impeachment efforts in nearly seven tumultuous years in power.
Manila police chief Geary Barias told the dissidents to vacate the hotel by 3 p.m. (0700 GMT) or face arrest on new warrants for contempt of court.
The deadline passed with the officers refusing to leave and posting uniformed troops with M-16 rifles guarding stairways leading to the second floor of the Peninsula hotel where the dissidents set up a command center in a function room.
"One thing I can assure you is we have more than enough willpower, fighting spirit to bring this government down," said Antonio Trillanes, one of the officers on trial who was elected to the Senate in May, campaigning from detention. "We want change."
The trial is over a 2003 insurrection in which troops commandeered a shopping center and demanded Mrs. Arroyo's ouster.
Esperon orders re-arrest of jailed military officers involved in hotel takeover Thursday, November 29, 2007 04:19 PM
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon directed the ground commanders to enforce the full force of the law and re-arrest jailed senior military officers that walked out from coup trial and challenged the presidency of President Arroyo to step down.
Esperon immediately declared red alert for all the Armed Forces units across the country.
Esperon, who was in this port city cut short his conference with the ground military commanders minutes after receiving the reports of the stand off, also warned to use force "if need be" to contain the brewing tension after former navy officer turned Senator Antonio Trillanes, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and some of the Magdalo officers facing coup charges walked out from the trial and staged a march along Makati streets this morning. -- Roel Pareno
SWAT team storms hotel Thursday, November 29, 2007 05:42 PM
Army troops and SWAT teams stormed an upscale hotel today that dissident military officers commandeered after walking out of their coup trial and demanding that President Arroyo resign.
At least two people were injured as troops and SWAT teams assaulted the Peninsula hotel in Makati, Manila's business district. An armored personnel carrier, earlier used as cover by the security forces, was used to crash through the lobby entrance, where dense clouds of tear gas wafted through.
"For the safety of everyone, we're going out ... because we cannot live with our conscience if some of you get hurt in the crossfire," said Antonio Trillanes, one of the officers on trial.
SWAT team fires warning shots Thursday, November 29, 2007 04:30 PM
The group led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes continues to defy a deadline set by the Philippine National Police (PNP). saying they will stay inside the Manila Peninsula Hotel.
Shots were heard about 75 minutes after the deadline passed. SWAT teams and troops used an armored personnel carrier as cover to move into position for a possible assault.
At least one dissident soldier, distinguishable by a red arm band, crouched inside the hotel lobby, his finger near the trigger of an M-16 rifle. Many journalists refused a request from the President's spokesman that they leave.
Officers to surrender following tear gas Thursday, November 29, 2007 05:19 PM
MANILA (AP)- Military officers said they would surrender as tear gas was fired into an upscale hotel they took over after storming out of their coup trial and demanding that President Arroyo resign.
At least two people were injured as troops and SWAT teams assaulted the Peninsula hotel in Makati, Manila's business district. An armored personnel carrier was used to crash through the lobby entrance, where dense clouds of tear gas wafted through.
Dozens of reporters covering Manila hotel takeover detained; groups protest Thursday, November 29, 2007 09:29 PM
MANILA (AP) - Dozens of journalists were detained after covering the daylong takeover of a Manila hotel by a group of disgruntled soldiers, raising questions about press freedom in one of Asia's most media-friendly nations.
The government said it wants to ensure that rebel troops, who walked out of their court hearing on charges of taking part in a 2003 failed coup and commandeered an upscale hotel before surrendering, did not slip away among journalists.
Media organizations cried foul, saying freedom of speech is constitutionally guaranteed in a nation priding itself with having a lively, freewheeling media system.
Detained with them are Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
Members of media arrested Thursday, November 29, 2007 06:28 PM
Members of the media were seen on television handcuffed, following the tensions at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati.
A crew led by ABS-CBN reporter Pinky Webb was invited by members of the police for questioning.
Footages of the ABS CBN technical team were broadcast showing them handcuffed.
A tape by Webb's crew, reportedly containing footages of Sen. Antonio Trillanes, was also confiscated. Thursday, November 29, 2007 06:22 PM
Sen. Antonio Trillanes and Brigadier Gen. Danny Lim have surrendered to authorities, following the announcement that they will leave the Manila Peninsula Hotel.
Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona was also taken by authorities.
Hundreds of guests scramble to vacate hotel taken over by coup suspects Thursday, November 29, 2007 04:42 PM
MANILA (AP) - Well-dressed guests were eating in ritzy restaurants at the Makati Peninsula hotel when dozens of uniformed soldiers burst in this morning, took over the building and sent the patrons fleeing.
Talk about deja vu.
Four years after disgruntled troops, led by a charismatic young navy lieutenant, seized a Manila hotel in a daylong uprising, the same men walked out of their trial over the incident and barged into another hotel to again press their demands for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign.
Hundreds of guests were soon scrambling to vacate rooms as security forces surrounded the Peninsula in the rain.
"I lived here for four years, so I understand the way it is," said Tom Collins of Honolulu, who flew in for a wedding at the hotel. "It's just an inconvenience. I don't think this was handled well."
Coup plots are nothing new in the Philippines. In the years since democracy was restored in 1986, there have been some half dozen failed attempts by soldiers to seize power from democratically elected governments. Arroyo, who came to power in 2001 in the Philippines' second "people power" revolt, has faced down at least three efforts to unseat her.
Each time, confidence in the country's economy and its image as a stable democracy have been eroded.
"When they see something like this, people will not come here," said businessman Peter Randel, from Sydney, Australia. "My friends were coming but guess they won't come here any more."
The Peninsula management said 310 out of the 497 rooms were occupied before the drama began.
About 200 guests led the massive check-out, lining up in the reception area with hastily packed bags. Some carried their clothes in plastic bags.
GMA lauds authorities Thursday, November 29, 2007 07:02 PM
President Arroyo has lauded the authorities for a job well done after the surrender of Sen. Antonio Trillanes and Brigadier Gen. Danny Lim.
Mrs. Arroyo said that the soldiers will continue serving the country and called for a fight for justice and poverty.
Meanwhile, members of the media condemned the arrest of several journalists who were led to a bus and brought to Bicutan for questioning.
Earlier, footages of ABS CBN’s technical team were shown handcuffed as well as several journalists covering the Makati stand-off.
Barias forced to leave Peninsula lobby
Thursday, November 29, 2007 02:39 PM
NCRPO deputy Director Geary Barias was forced to leave the Peninsula Hotel in Makati this afternoon after a Magdalo soldier talked to him and pleaded for him to leave the premises.
When the media tried to ask questions, the soldier told them to ask question outside of the hotel that led to clapping and cheering.
Barias gave the camp of Sen. Antonio Trillanes and Gen. Danny Lim until 3 p.m. this afternoon to leave the hotel or face arrest.
The Peninsula stand-off dampens stocks Thursday, November 29, 2007 09:03 PM
The stock market gave up more than half of its gain at the close of trading yesterday as investors, clearly spooked by the events triggered by the walkout of Sen. Antonio Trillanes from a Makati regional trial court, quickly locked in early gains.
After rallying by as much as three percent, the key composite index gave up more than half of its gain at the close following renewed calls from a group led by Trillanes for the ouster of President Arroyo. The key composite index finished up 41.55 points or 1.2 percent at 3,578.55, off a high of 3,643.43. The broader all-share index gained 15.20 points or 0.7 percent at 2,172.57. Market breadth was negative with decliners outnumbering gainers, 84 to 39, while 39 stocks ended flat. A total of 6.7 billion shares worth P7.6 billion changed hands.
The group, on trial for an alleged 2003 coup plot against Mrs Arroyo, stormed out of court Thursday and took over the Manila Peninsula hotel in Makati. Rica D. Delfinado
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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