MANILA, 30 November 2007 — Philippine military and police teams stormed a luxury hotel in Manila yesterday to end a short-lived coup attempt by a small group of dissident soldiers and others, who commandeered a five-star hotel after walking out of their coup trial and calling on the army to mutiny.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo quickly quashed the latest crisis, dispatching troops and SWAT teams yesterday to quell the dissident military officers’ rebellion.

Government forces fired teargas into the lobby of the Manila Peninsula Hotel and used an armored personnel carrier (APC) to batter down its glass doors before storming in under cover of repeated bursts of fire in the air. There were no casualties.

The rebel soldiers, a senator and a handful of priests who had occupied the plush hotel surrendered and were arrested. “We are going out for the sake of the safety of everybody,” their leader Sen. Antonio Trillanes earlier told reporters.

“For your sake, because we will not live with our conscience if some of you get hurt or get killed in the crossfire. We cannot afford that.” It was the latest in a series of coup attempts to plague the Southeast Asian nation since dictator Ferdinand Marcos was ousted two decades ago.

Yesterday’s drama attracted hundreds of curious onlookers, but no one voiced any support for those inside the hotel, and there were no reports of unrest within the military. Most of the guests had been evacuated before the assault, but over 100 people, including hotel staff and journalists, were caught in the midst of the action.

Soon after the seven-hour incident ended, the government announced a midnight-5 a.m. curfew for Manila and the surrounding area while follow-up operations are conducted, with checkpoints set up and the military and police on red alert.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said he hoped the curfew would only be enforced for one night.

Calling it a “peaceful conclusion” to the thwarted attempt of Trillanes and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim to overthrow the president, Puno said that the government intends to quell the rebellion totally.

He said others may be involved in the Manila Peninsula hold-out following the seemingly “organized” and planned action. “They were dressed in civilian clothes but changed into military garb and took out their weapons the moment they joined Trillanes and Lim inside (Manila Peninsula),” Puno described.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales described it (the action against the coup plotters) as a police operation, whose objective is to have a clean sweep of the rebellion’s “inducers” and “financers.” He noted that Bishop Julio Labayen and Father Robert Reyes were already under the Philippine National Police (PNP) custody.

Gonzalez also announced that he has formed a team of prosecutors to probe the failed rebellion. “There had been shots fired. This must be taken into the context of demanding for the resignation of the president. This is inciting to rebellion and is punishable by a maximum penalty of life imprisonment,” he reiterated.

At least two people were injured during the assault of the hotel in Makati, Manila’s business district. A leader of the dissident officers agreed to leave peacefully to avoid bloodshed.

“There’s no loss here,” said Trillanes, a former navy officer who was elected to the Senate in May, campaigning from detention. “We just did what has to be done. It is tantamount to treason if I don’t do anything. If somebody lost here, it’s the whole nation.”

The military men and their civilian sympathizers — including former Vice President Teofisto Guingona — were led in groups to waiting police buses. They were being arrested and taken in for questioning. Several journalists also were detained.

Arroyo offered reassurances that the government is stable and claimed the military is loyal to her. “Again and again we have shown to the world the stability of the institutions of our democracy and the strength of this government,” she said on national television.

“Wrong and misguided deeds of the few do not speak for the people or the army and police,” Arroyo added. “The full force of the law will be meted out without any concession.”

The first shots erupted about 75 minutes after a deadline passed for the men to surrender in the face of contempt of court warrants filed against them.

At least one dissident soldier, distinguishable by a red armband, crouched inside the hotel lobby, his finger near the trigger of an M-16 rifle. Many journalists refused a request from the president’s spokesman that they leave.

Joined by other dissident officers and leaders from the opposition and the left, the coup defendants clearly were trying to foster the Philippines’ third “people power” revolt, making phone calls and sending cell phone text messages seeking to generate crowds to support them.

But as the day wore on and hotel guests were evacuated, few people turned out for the latest effort to oust Arroyo, who has survived at least three coup plots and three impeachment efforts during nearly seven tumultuous years in power.

Asked if he had a message for Arroyo, Trillanes said: “Sooner or later, the time of reckoning will come.” The trial for Trillanes and his co-defendants is over a 2003 insurrection in which troops commandeered a shopping center and hotel and demanded Arroyo’s ouster. They denounced the government and military corruption, but were accused of staging a failed coup. They surrendered after the daylong uprising.

Escorted by military police, who apparently did not prevent them from leaving the court, the defendants marched to the Peninsula hotel, pushed away guards at the entrance, and set up a command center in a second-floor function room. Armed guards were set up on stairways from the lobby.

They were joined by Lim — suspected of involvement in another failed coup plot last year — along with dozens of sympathizers within the military and leaders of leftist and opposition groups.

Lim issued a statement urging Arroyo to resign and asking the armed forces to withdraw support for her. “Mrs. Arroyo stole the presidency from Estrada, and later manipulated the results of 2004 elections,” Lim said.

After agreeing to surrender, Trillanes said he was convinced that other officers in the always-restive military are fed up with government corruption and won’t stay quiet. “Eventually it will be their turn to live up to their mandate as protectors of the people,” he said.

Government forces closed down virtually the entire Makati area, and surrounded the Peninsula with troops and trucks. Five armored personnel carriers were used in the assault on the hotel.

“I haven’t been to bed yet,” said Dave Anderson from Anchorage, Alaska, who had flown in overnight to Manila. “They came and beat on my door and told me to leave by 3 p.m. They told me to take my bags, so here I am sitting in the lobby because I can’t go out,” he said before being allowed to leave. (Additional input from agencies)

What Filipinos in Kingdom Say About the Failed Rebellion:

Bal Acepcion, electrician in Dammam: We deserve a little crisis at home to jolt the government into shaping up. It could even cause the dollar to rise (against the peso).

Fred Caancan, salesman in Alkhobar: The uprising did not prosper because it lacked support from the masses. People are tired of destabilization. Are there no other alternatives?

Raffy Beltran, correspondent of Balitang Middle East in Dammam: Why did they have to arrest the journalists who were only doing their jobs?

Boy Camara, mechanic in Dammam: I wonder who are really behind this uprising. Where were those who have been noisily calling for Arroyo to resign?

Alejandro Domingo, web developer in Jeddah: I wish the rebellion succeeded so that the dollar would get stronger and OFWs would be happy. Besides, the nation needs Trillanes (as a leader). He is not afraid of speaking the truth.

Ciriaco Espino, a petroleum company worker in Rabigh: It’s another taint on our image as a nation. It’s a pity that these things keep happening.

Elvie Sanchez, hospital worker in Taif: At least they (rebels) were able to voice out the sentiments of many people. I hope that it would also lead to a rebound in the value of the dollar.

Christopher Castor of Jumairah Marketing in Jeddah: I don’t care anymore because the Philippines is a hopeless case. It’s unmanageable. If it’s only possible, I’d give up my being a Filipino.

Roger, Franklin and Milo of Abdulatif Alissa Co. in Riyadh: What the rebels did was right. GMA ought to step down and we hope the rebellion could strengthen the dollar.

Vic Hizo, telecom technician in Taif: I do want reforms in government but Trillanes and his group did not have the people’s support. On the other hand, what they did could improve the dollar-peso exchange rate to favor OFWs.

Jayson Castillo, technical assistant in Yanbu: Trillanes and company should not have given up until Arroyo is ousted. She has not done anything to improve the lot of OFWs and their families.

Vic Chua, secretary in Jeddah: I not in favor of what Trillanes did. He has allowed himself to be used by self-serving people who have not done anything good for the country. Let’s give Arroyo a chance to solve the problems facing the country.

Jamal Silva of Jeddah: Arroyo ought to be replaced. She’s too much. Let’s restore Erap to power so that he will continue with his programs for the poor.

Ferdie Gomez of Bahra: An iron fist is the answer to these troublemakers. Let’s punish those who ought to be punished to end once and for all any attempt to grab power through violent and illegal means. (Interviews by Dinan Arana in Dammam, Bien Custodio in Riyadh, Francis Salud & Ronald Concha in Jeddah)