Coup d'etat Attempt in the Philippines: on-going now

[cmo]

Arroyo orders police to arrest rebel soldiers

President Arroyo ordered Thursday the Philippine National Police to arrest rebel soldiers, led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who occupied the Manila Peninsula Hotel and called for the president's ouster.

Director Geary Barias, National Capital Region Police Office director, said authorities have also asked all of the civilians inside the hotel to leave the building.

"Everybody [should be] out of the hotel so that we can affect the order of Malacañang," Barias said, adding that he had been ordered to negotiate with the group of Trillanes and Lim.

He said that they are hoping to end the crisis by 3 p.m. "I'm trying to talk to them. If they will not heed that order, then arrests will be made," Barias said.

He added that he has given the rebels a 2:30 p.m. deadline to evacuate guests inside the hotel.

Barias said the police have secured the vicinity of the hotel. "Right now, everything is alright," he said.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said law enforcers were given internal guidelines on how to handle Trillanes and his group.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol said the arrest order was issued by the court after Trillanes and his group walked out a hearing at a Makati courtroom.

Reports said the government has asked some Philippine Military Academy "classmates" to appease the military officials who joined the group calling for Mrs. Arroyo's removal from office.

At least 200 soldiers and policemen have been deployed around the hotel as Barias tried to negotiate with Lim.

Trillanes and Lim marched out of a Makati courtroom with armed guards and called for Mrs. Arroyo's resignation on Thursday. Several soldiers, some of whom were carrying Magdalo flags, marched with Trillanes and Lim along Makati Avenue and entered the Manila Peninsula Hotel past 11 a.m.

"This is a withdrawal of support. We are joining our people in calling for the removal of the President," Lim announced over radio dzMM. He added that they made the call because the President continues to violate the Constitution with impunity by plundering the treasury.

Trillanes also called on the people to join them in Makati. "Magsama-sama tayo. Nanawagan po kami sa taongbayan na naniniwala sa pagbabago," he said.

Director General Avelino Razon Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, earlier placed its units on full alert.

"We are now on red alert. Our policemen have been dispatched [to Makati City]," Razon told abs-cbnNEWS.com in a phone interview.

Razon said he had appointed Chief Superintendent Luizo Ticman, Souther Police District director, as the ground commander. "We have to prevent them from moving. We are doing everything to stop them from moving," Razon said.

A radio dzMM report said President Arroyo has called members of her Cabinet for an emergency meeting.

The PNP chief said Mrs. Arroyo had already given him instructions on how to react on the situation. He declined to give the details of Mrs. Arroyo's instructions.

__________________

[cmo]

Shots fired as pro-Arroyo troops begin assault at hotel

Shots were fired as fully armed pro-government troops began their assault on the Manila Peninsula Hotel to serve the court-issued arrest warrants against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim.

Government soldiers, backed by armored personnel carrier, also were seen taking combat positions outside the hotel. Some were also seen going into the hotel premises.

GMA reported that government soldiers have started securing all the possible exit points at the hotel.

Earlier, police Dir. Geary Barias gave Trillanes and Lim until 3 p.m. to surrender. He said government troops were prepared to take appropriate action against Trillanes and Lim who are backed by armed Magdalo soldiers.

Police has earlier ordered guests and hotel personnel to evacuate the building in case the serving of the arrest warrants become “harsh." - GMANews.TV

[ctivnan]

Just got the news that Trillanes and Lim Surrendered!

No more coup d'etat attempt!!!!

:warpaint:

[cmo]

Thanks for the info as we were trying to figure out what was happening and Makati is not that far from our office.

:flower2: :flower2: :flower2: :flower2: :flower2:

[ctivnan]

Gov't declares curfew in Metro Manila, nearby provinces

'This is not martial law.' -- PNP chief

By Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 08:22pm (Mla time) 11/29/2007

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 3) The government, through Interior and Local Secretary Ronaldo Puno has imposed a curfew throughout Metro Manila, in Central Luzon (Region 3), and CALABARZON (Region 4-A).
The curfew starts 12 midnight to 5 a.m. Friday.
"We are doing this to protect the citizenry. This is not martial law,"
Philippine National Police Chief Avelino Razon told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview.
Razon, who has been directed to issue the guidelines, said the curfew would hopefully be implemented for just a day.
In a news briefing in Malacañang, Puno appealed to the public to "bear with the inconvenience" brought about by the declaration of the curfew.
He said the curfew was issued "to allow law enforcement agencies to continue their follow-up operation."
"We would encourage everyone to cooperate with the rules and guidelines relative to this curfew," he said.
Puno said regions 3 and 4-A were included in the curfew because there were some areas here that were part of the greater Manila area.
"Police authorities want to ensure that Manila is safe and sound," he said.
Asked if there was a possibility of extending the curfew, Puno said this could be the case "if the follow up operations that would ensue will not achieve their objectives," but added that this would be reviewed on a day-to-day basis.
Puno said public transportation would not be allowed to ply in the period of curfew.
He added that those that would be in the streets during the period of curfew would be the subject of "serious scrutiny" in checkpoints that would be set-up in the three regions affected.
Puno said those that would be subjected to checkpoints should be able to present valid identification cards and should not be carrying weapons.
Puno said the imposition of the curfew was a consensus within the Cabinet security cluster.
He also stressed that its imposition was a "police matter" and "a law enforcement issue" and added that even barangay (villages) can impose it.
National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzalez said the curfew was "part of the police power of the state, a constitutional authority."
Because of the scope of the curfew, which will include three regions, Gonzalez said its imposition required the authority of the President."
With a report from Thea Alberto; Originally posted at 07:10 pm

[Ninoy Aquino]

This is the same old story with the old casting (remember the Oakwood Mutiny) to cover up the "ill-doings" of Mrs. Arroyo's Goverment.

Before Oakwood Mutiny. Mrs. Arroyo "promised" not to run as Philippine president however, after that, Mrs. Arroyo runs as Philippine president using that mutiny as one of her agenda.

Now, before the Manila Pen takeover, UN report implicating Mrs. Arroyo government in the extra-judicial killings and now, what happens to the extra-judicial killing because our focus were on Trillanes group.

This is a "moro moro" in the making by Mrs. Arroyo to take away our attention on the real issues of our Country, Mother Land Philippines.

We hope these kind of "shows" would stop and let us face the real issues making ourselves be comfortable and satisfied with what we can do in giving real solutions.