Siege in Makati
Rebel Soldiers Ask GMA, Generals to Resign

On the eve of her State-of-the-Nation-Address (Sona), President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo faces a major challenge to her government – the second since assuming power in January 2001. At 3 a.m. July 27, mutinous soldiers stormed and occupied the Oakwood Premier Hotel in Makati City and demanded her resignation, her entire Cabinet and all generals.

By Bobby Tuazon
Bulatlat.com

Mutinous soldiers armed with M-16s, above left, take their positions in the July 27 early morning siege of Makati City as one of their leaders, Navy Lt. Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes, right, talks to newsmen. A convoy of armored vehicles manned by presidential guards, top photo, enters Malacañang as security is tightened.

On the eve of her State-of-the-Nation-Address (Sona), President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo faces a major challenge to her government – the second since assuming power in January 2001. At 3 a.m. July 27, mutinous soldiers stormed and occupied the Oakwood Premier Hotel in Makati City and demanded her resignation, her entire Cabinet and all generals.

But Macapagal-Arroyo dismissed the armed siege by the rebellious forces as “unlawful” bordering on “terrorism.” In a news conference at Malacañang six hours later, she issued an ultimatum giving the rebels until 5 p.m. on the same day to surrender and to “return to barracks.”

Unless the rebels comply, she warned, the Armed Forces will use force to stop the rebellion. 

A few hours later, Macapagal-Arroyo declared a "state of rebellion" and directed the AFP to suppress the rebellion.

Makati is the country’s prime financial and commercial center. It was the scene of armed skirmishes in previous coups d’etat against government and is, with its high-rise buildings, considered ideal for urban warfare.

Earlier, the U.S. Embassy in Manila expressed concern over reports about the coup but declared its support for Macapagal-Arroyo.

Loyalist forces

Hundreds of Army soldiers and Marines loyal to the president have been deployed around the areas occupied by the mutinous soldiers. They came aboard military trucks, armored personnel carriers (APCs) and other military vehicles.

Malacañang is heavily fortified with tanks, APCs, firetrucks and machinegun nests at press time. Air Force helicopters were hovering the whole metropolis.

Security at the AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo and the national police-s Camp Crame was also tightened.

There were no immediate reports of similar movements in the provinces.

Leaders of the mutiny are junior officers and enlisted personnel in their mid-20s or early-30s from the AFP’s elite Light Reaction Company, Scout Ranger Regiment and other Army and Philippine Marines units. They identified themselves as belonging to the “Magdalo Group” – a name that also refers to the wing of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in the Katipunan during the revolution of 1890s. The rebel soldiers sported a red armband showing the white insignia of the Katipunan-Magdalo.

The mutiny leaders came from the PMA classes of 1994, 1995 and 1997.

They were armed with high-powered rifles including M-16s, M-14s, shotguns and M-60 machineguns. At their temporary quarters inside the Oakwood hotel were food and medicine provisions showing that the rebels are prepared for a protracted battle.

But most of the occupants of Oakwood as well as the Interncon and other hotels – many of them foreign tourists – were allowed to leave by 9 a.m. It was also reported that the Australian ambassador to Manila was inside Oakwood but his fate remains unknown at press time.

Honasan

The day before, Gen. Victor Corpus, chief of the intelligence service of AFP (ISAFP), warned that forces loyal to detained ex-president Joseph Estrada and Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan were out to stage a coup and capture Malacañang. Both Estrada and Honasan who, in the late 1980’s, led several coups against then President Corazon Aquino, denied the report.

From the Veterans Memorial Hospital in Quezon City where he has been detained since April 2001 to face trial for plunder, Estrada was transferred to Camp Aguinaldo for security reasons.

While the mutinous soldiers positioned themselves at Oakwood and planted explosives and booby traps at nearby hotels and parking lots – to “defend themselves,” they said - TV stations played a video showing leaders of the Magdalo Group, among them, Capt. Gerardo O. Gambala announcing their mutiny.

In a statement read by Gambala, said to be valedictorian of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1995, the plotters accused the AFP hierarchy of corruption and of masterminding the recent bombings in Davao, southern Philippines and blaming it on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The bombings were staged as a pretext for tagging the MILF as “terrorist” and to justify the request for U.S. military aid, Gambala said.

The rebels also exposed an alleged Malacañang plot to declare martial law in August following the execution of a secret plan to bomb Metro Manila. The plan seeks to extend the Macapagal-Arroyo presidency beyond 2004, they alleged.

Trillanes

Lt. Senior Grade Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV, who appeared to be the spokesperson of Magdalo, told reporters in chance interviews at Oakwood that the mutiny had the support of 2,000 troops. Trillanes, who is from the Navy and magna cum laude graduate of PMA class 1995, wrote a thesis on corruption in the Navy for his MA in public administration at the University of the Philippines.

Trillanes refused to talk to Defense Secretary Reyes. But he said that Macapagal-Arroyo was given the chance to institute reforms since assuming the presidency in 2001 but has failed and has lost the moral ground to remain in office. Grievances in the AFP remain deeply-rooted, he also said.

AFP officials however insisted that the mutiny was staged by a small band of disgruntled elements and fugitives in the military numbering less than 200. They also denied the rebels’ claims of military-staged bombings in the South and the martial law plot.

But while Honasan was denying accusations of his complicity in the mutiny, a motley crowd of his supporters marched to Makati City carrying streamers of the senator’s “National Recovery Program.” They were to be joined by members of the People’s Movement Against Poverty (PMAP) who are known to be loyal to former president Estrada.

Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said the pro-Honasan and pro-Estrada mobilizations were to be blocked from Makati for security reasons.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina has accused Honasan of being behind the coup, saying that the rebels’ “National Recovery Program” which they presented as their platform for change is the same program of the senator. Honasan has announced his interest in running for either president or vice-president in the coming May 2004 elections.

Edsa Shrine

Meanwhile, members of “civil society” pro-administration groups began gathering at Edsa Shrine in Quezon City as a symbolic move to show their support for the beleaguered Macapagal-Arroyo administration. The gathering was in response to a pastoral letter issued earlier by Manila Archbishop Cardinal Sin calling on his flock and concerned Filipinos to defend the constitution and protect the government.

Last week, the spokesperson of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal confirmed the widespread dissatisfaction in the AFP’s rank-and-file. He called on its “patriotic members” – who, he said, have talked to the clandestine Left - to abandon the AFP, which he described as corrupt and mercenary, and side with the people.

Macapagal-Arroyo, who was installed to power after the Edsa II revolt that toppled the discredited Estrada presidency, faced the first challenge to her leadership when thousands of pro-Estrada forces – mostly from urban poor communities – laid a siege Malacañang on May 1, 2001. Administration officials accused several former Estrada officials of financing the siege that would have climaxed in a coup.

In the late 1980s, at least six coups were mounted against the government of President Corazon Aquino. Aquino took over the presidency following Edsa I that ousted the 20-year U.S.-backed strongman rule of Ferdinand Marcos.

With reports of terrorism and bombings in the South, the Philippines has recently been declared by the U.S. and four other governments a travel risk. The current military mutiny is expected to upgrade that security status. Bulatlat.com

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