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IN
scenes reminiscent of the 1989 takeover by putschists of
Makati’s central business district and the 2003 Oakwood
Mutiny, a soldier-senator and a general held court
Thursday with rebel soldiers for six hours at the Manila
Peninsula Hotel, demanding the resignation of President
Arroyo and reforms in the government.
The
six-hour Makati City standoff was peacefully resolved
late afternoon when Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and former
Army Scout Ranger commander Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim
surrendered, saying they wanted to avoid shedding the
blood of civilians who were holed up with them in the
hotel, along with hundreds of mediamen.
Trillanes, Lim and their companions had marched under
steady rain from the Makati City courts hearing their
cases in connection with the Oakwood case to the
Peninsula at half past 11 a.m.
Despite
their surrender later, the government imposed a
midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew in Metro Manila, Central and
Southern Luzon until security forces are convinced no further
destabilization is being planned.
Police
also hauled off in buses, along with the protagonists,
hundreds of journalists and technical crew, for
“questioning.” Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno explained
that authorities just wanted to ensure the mediamen did
not “wittingly want to obstruct justice” by standing in
the way of a military operation. The mediamen had
refused to leave the hotel, Puno said, despite a plea by
police authorities since
3 p.m. until the tear-gas canisters were lobbed into the hotel at
4:30 p.m.
The
civilians holed up with Trillanes and Lim at the
Peninsula included former Vice President Teofisto
Guingona Jr., former University of the Philippines
president Francisco Nemenzo, Catholic bishops Julio
Labayen and Antonio Tobias, and lawyers Argee Guevarra
and Jose Virgilio Bautista.
Local
and foreign business leaders said the standoff would
surely dent the positive economic outlook and criticized
the protagonists for choosing to use a potentially
violent means for airing their grievances.
Alberto
Lim, executive director of the Makati Business Club,
said rampant allegations on corruption, injustice and
cheating will breed political instability “so this
incident is not surprising.”
“However, we do not support military adventurism as a
means to address misgovernance by this administration.
The government would do well to address the issues
raised by General Lim and Senator Trillanes and not to
forget them after the crisis has passed,” Lim said.
Samie
Lim, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (PCCI), said it was an unfortunate incident “at
a time when the economy is starting to pick up.”
He
added: “I am sure they have grievances that have not
been attended to properly. The government is doing its
job. They want to talk to them but they did not send the
right negotiator.”
Michael
Wootton, chairman of the British Business Council, said
it is good the crisis was resolved quickly. “But it
would have been better if it hadn’t happened at all.
Prevention is better than the cure. These things cause a
lot of disruption and the peso exchange rate was all
over the place,” Wootton said.
The
country’s strong economic fundamentals cushioned the
markets from jitters caused by the standoff, economic
managers said.
Finance
Secretary Margarito Teves said in a news briefing in
Malacañang the government’s swift response to the
incident would be enough assurance to local and
international investors.
He said
the country’s good economic fundamentals—low interest
and inflation rates, strong fiscal and monetary
situation, and the strong peso—“will enable us to handle
this kind of temporary disturbance in our economy.”
Trade
Secretary Peter Favila, who along with Teves went to the
Philippine Stock Exchange Thursday, said, “We’re pleased
to report that while there was a knee-jerk reaction to
the incident, it recovered toward the closing of the
market. And we’re also in touch with [Bangko Sentral]
Gov. [Amando] Tetangco [Jr.], [who told us] the same
thing. He said the market has recovered and remained
calm.”
The
surrender of Lim and Trillanes was announced at about
5:30 p.m. by Guingona and Infanta, Quezon, bishop
emeritus Julio Labayen several minutes after an armored
personnel carrier followed by government troops entered
the hotel past 5 p.m.
Trillanes said the presence of civilians, including
members of the media, forced them to yield because they
could not, in conscience, bear the thought that these
people would be hurt or killed.
He said,
like soldiers, “we are going to face this” and the
government could do whatever it wants with him.
In going
to the hotel, he said he only did what he is obliged to
do as a former member of the military, and that is to
“fight for the rights of oppressed people.”
Inside
the hotel, Lim read a prepared statement saying that
they have been forced to take the action as
constitutional processes and all other legal
alternatives have faded away.
Local
and foreign businessmen agreed that the takeover of The
Peninsula Manila in Makati Thursday will definitely
impact negatively on the image of the Philippines anew
as a viable investment and tourism destination.
“Of
course, this will have a negative impact. This can delay
or even stop some investments. Now, even tourism in the
country will suffer. The reputation of our country will
suffer,” said Sergio Ortiz-Luis, president of the
Philippine Exporters Confederation and Employers
Confederation of the Philippines.
Henry
Schumacher, executive vice president of the European
Chamber of Commerce of the
Philippines,
said for businesses that are already here, the incident
may no longer have any impact. “But those outside, this
does not help the Philippines’ image.” Still he added,
“I don’t see long-term effects.”
The
standoff between the rebels and government troops began
to unravel shortly after the government’s demand for the
group of Trillanes to surrender ended at 3 p.m.
Government troops fired tear gas into the hotel before
an armored personnel carrier rammed through the door of
the hotel, followed by policemen and soldiers.
Warning
shots were fired by the attacking troops but were never
answered by the rebels.
Lim said
that they only did their constitutional duty as
protectors of the people when they went to the hotel,
and added that their surrender does not mean the end of
their fight.
“This is
a continuing business… apparently, the business is not
finished here,” he said.
The
National Police chief, Director General Avelino Razon
Jr., immediately put the 125,000-strong force on
heightened alert, while the Armed Forces went on red
alert.
When red
alert is declared, all personnel are required to be in
their posts and all leaves and fuloughs are cancelled.
(With M.V. de Leon, C. Mocon, R. Acosta, M. Gonzalez, R.
Mercene) |
