I have been monitoring the ANC for the incident going on in Makati when Oakwood mutineers walked out of their trial at about 11 a.m.. They were led by detained Senator Antonio Trillanes and Gen. Danny Lim.
They marched along Makati Avenue with a number of supporters and holed up at Peninsula Hotel where they are now issuing a statement against the Arroyo government.
(11:38 a.m.)
I alerted my City Council colleagues and informed the Mayor. I also checked with the local police authorities and its quiet in the city.
(11:48 a.m.)
What is happening I asked my friends in Manila?
It could be a full blown mutiny, answered one from civil society.
Please monitor the provinces, replied the other from a staff of a Senator.
(11:52 a.m.)
The government response was quite swift. In less than 30 minutes, the PNP cordoned off the area hear the hotel; Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro ordering the rearrest of the mutineers and vowed to take the full force of the law on them.
Trade Secretary Peter Favila claiming the on-going incident has not affected both the stock and currency markets and Malacanang calling for an emergency meeting of the cabinet.
Where were the key political figures of the country?
GMA was in a Laguna coconut mill; Erap and Makati Mayor Jojo Binay were attending an opposition medical mission in Quezon City.
At the Ninoy Monument near the hotel, activist Linda Montayre, identified with the paid ad last week of the Filipino Nationalist Democratic Reform Movement exposing GMA’s sins, called for support to the mutineers.
Where’s FVR? No word yet from the media as of 12:40 p.m. Yesterday, he was quoted to have said there is “no better option” than the current Malacanang occupant.
Curiosly, the paid ad last week was placed by groups with members identified with the former soldier-president.
(12:43 p.m.)
The 3:00 p.m. deadline for Trillanes and company to give up has lapsed.
(3:02 p.m.)
Shots were fired a moment ago. By whom? Media reports they were warning shots. In the past coups, many shots were fired on the air. Surely, no Filipino soldier would want to aim his/her gun on one of his/her own. Media call it acoustic war.
(4:06 p.m.)
What started as a defiant walk out from the courtroom this morning is about to end with a walk out from the hotel into the re-arrest of the mutineers. After government troops stormed the hotel initially with a barrage of teargas shots, the mutineers decided to give up for the sake of the lives of all those holed up inside the hotel.
Losers? Trillanes said no; he said the whole nation lost in today’s drama.
(5:39 p.m.)
Surprising that two more late developments marred today’s successful closure of the mutiny – first, the handling of the media where many of those caught in the crossfire were themselves taken into custody with handcuffs, and second, the curfew imposed in and around Metro Manila.
Curtailing movements up to 5 a.m. tomorrow is a bit odd unless there are unauthorized troop movements in these places in Luzon.
(7:15 p.m.)