Filipino rebels surrender after siege

MORE than 300 mutinous Philippine troops who had seized a downtown residential shopping complex surrendered late yesterday, ending a 19-hour standoff with government forces without a shot fired.

Explosives set at the upscale complex by the mutineers were being defused as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced the standoff had ended. Renegade soldiers and officers would face investigation according to "the articles of war", she said.

"The crisis is over," a visibly relieved and smiling Ms Arroyo said in a nationally televised address, as senior aides at the presidential palace clapped.

The president had set two deadlines for using force against the mutineers, who said they wanted the government to resign and complained of corruption. The deadlines passed as government negotiators entered into talks with the rebellious troops.

"This is a triumph for democracy," Ms Arroyo said. She said the 296 soldiers, including 70 officers, were standing down and returning to barracks.

Hours earlier, the president declared a state of rebellion, giving authorities emergency powers to make arrests without warrants, and sent tanks to surround the besieged complex.

The standoff started at about 3am yesterday, when the mutineers, armed with rifles and wearing camouflage uniforms and red armbands, set up gunposts and rigged explosives around the outside of the Glorietta complex.

For years troops have in the past complained about low and unequal salaries in the Philippines, which has a history of coups and rumors of coups in recent years. In a 1989 rebellion, mutinous forces seized the same shopping complex. "We are not attempting to grab power. We are just trying to express our grievances," navy Lieutenant Sr. Grade Antonio Trillanes told reporters at the scene.

Some residents, including the Australian ambassador, were prevented from leaving the complex, but all were later evacuated, some carrying children and luggage. Unlike the people power revolts that peacefully ousted two presidents in recent years, there appeared to be little public support for the mutiny. The military chief of staff declared loyalty to the president.

The United States has been working closely with the 120,000-strong Philippine military, which has been battling Muslim separatists and communist rebels for the last three decades. But the military remains poorly equipped and trained, hampered by budgetary constraints.