Makati Mutiny

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.)

Denial queen

2010 is almost in everyone’s lips these days but the Palace occupant is as usual the denial queen.

She warns that early talk of elections can cause instability. Hohum.

On the contrary, not talking about a peaceful transition in 2010 is what I would call a serious threat to democracy.

After the assumption of Senator Mar Roxas of the leadership in the Liberal Party last Monday and the centennial bash of the Nacionalista Party last night led by Senate President Manny Villar, now comes the Nationalist People’s Coalition’s annual Christmas party on December 18.

Boss Danding Cojuangco is expected to be more generous this Yuletide with his victory over the ownership of 20 percent of San Miguel Corp.

What about the administration Lakas and Kampi parties? Well, they are busy backstabbing each other. If not, they are wasting people’s money with a junket to Spain and England next week in spite of the pressing matters at home. No less than 40 administration congress members are joining GMA to Europe. Hohum!

I say oras na (it’s high time) to discuss 2010!

(6:43 a.m.)

Back to post

Hello dear friends!

Sorry for the long absence. I could not log on to my blog since November 8. Everytime I opened this blog, a universal dashboard appears and I cannot open my own blog.

Good that it’s ok now. I would later tonight reply to those who posted comments during the past three weeks. Thank you so much for visiting in spite of my predicament.

I am now about to leave for the following activities today.

9 a.m. – 7th Araw ng Magtuod to represent City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte;

10 a.m. – Club 888 media forum at Marco Polo Hotel;

2 p.m. – TechnoKapihan with ICT advocates at SM Mall;

3 p.m. – Davao City High Alumni Association Meeting at Sunburst Resto;

6 p.m. – Opening night of Let The Good Times Roll, the city’s newest music restobar

(8:38 a.m.)

CNA

I hope this would be a lucky day for the city government and its employees.

Nego panels from both sides will sit down this afternoon to discuss its Collective Bargaining Agreement (CNA), last signed seven years ago.

Our city administrator lawyer Wendel Avisado will head the local government unit while Bing Alajar of the City Library will lead the Davao City Hall Employees Association (DACHEA), which has over 3,000 members.

I sit in the panel representing the local legislative body.

The renewal of the CNA should give the city government opportunity to provide security and better benefits to its employees, on one hand, and provide a more efficient and productive public service, on the other.

Today’s session

The City Council will resume its regular session today after a two-week break due to the village polls and the All Saints’ Day holidays.

Vice Mayor Sara Duterte is still on-leave after her wedding last October 27 in Manila. Acting Vice Mayor 1st District Councilor Mabel Acosta also went on vacation leave and left behind the helms of the local legislative body to 3rd District Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz.

Up for discussion today are pending committee reports by the Committees on Housing, Rules, and Tourism. Expect also a number of our colleagues to avail of the privilege hour to present many issues left during the long break.

100; 1000

No this is not about binary numbers. It’s the projected price of oil and gold in US Dollars, respectively, in the coming months.

Yup things move up so fast these days that we can hardly breath to take stock of many developments.

I lost net connection for several days during the past week that had two holidays (village polls and All Saints’ Day). So, I was not able to post for over a week. Thanks to those who visited my blog and commented on my previous posts. But sorry for not replying on time.

At the 1st Mindanao Bloggers Summit last week, I reiterated my frustrations over the lack of interest among public officials to blog and use this new tool to reach out to their constituents. For the past year and a half, I have been promoting blogging as tool for participatory governance but I got little support.

There are now an estimated 200,000 bloggers in the country. Yet, we can only count a few public officials among them. Here is a most welcome blog by a veteran outstanding mayor. Like me, he is an oddball.

I dream of the day when we can reach 100, then 1000 elected officials blogging in the country. That way, I am sure we can make a big difference in this, sadly, indifferent world.

(7:23 a.m.)