President gives mutineers surrender deadline

Rebellious soldiers demanding the resignation of the government of the Philippines have been given a deadline to surrender or face military action.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo issued the ultimatum to junior officers stormed into a major commercial centre in Manila’s financial district early today.

The mutineers are reported to have wired the centre with explosives.

The siege began soon after President Arroyo ordered the arrest of the rebels, telling them in a nationally televised address: “There is absolutely no justification for the actions you have taken.

“You have already stained the uniform. Do not drench it with dishonour. Your actions are already hovering at the fringes of outright terrorism.”

She said they had until 5pm (10am Irish time) to surrender.

“Past this deadline, the chief of staff is authorised to use reasonable force to dislodge your group quickly and efficiently, and arrest you,” she said.

The rebels vowed not to move.

National Security adviser Roilo Golez would not comment on the possibility that Arroyo could declare a state of emergency.

The mutiny appeared to have little public support, unlike the two “people power” revolts which have peacefully ousted two presidents of the Philippines.

The military chief of staff declared loyalty to Arroyo.

But the complexity of the stand-off was underscored by TV footage showing some mutineers, wearing red armbands, shaking hands with marines sent to surround them, raising questions about what Government forces would do if ordered to mount an assault.

Australian Ambassador Ruth Pearce was initially was prevented from leaving an apartment complex where a number of foreign diplomats live.

But all residents were later evacuated, some left carrying children and luggage. Many appeared alarmed as they passed a rebel machine gun outside the building.

Interior Secretary Jose Lina ordered the arrest of Senator Gregorio Honasan, citing an intelligence report reportedly linking the former colonel to the mutiny. Honasan, who has been accused of involvement in past coup plots, denied he had any “influence or control” over the mall takeover.

Men in camouflage uniforms wired explosives at 3am (8pm Irish time last night) in the car park of the Glorietta complex, which includes one of the capital’s largest shopping centres, and in front of the adjacent Intercontinental Hotel, where guards prevented guests from leaving for their own safety until daylight, when they were evacuated by bus.

The United States Embassy issued a statement backing Arroyo and opposing “any effort to destabilise or otherwise threaten the duly constituted government”.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also supported the current government, adding: “We don’t want to see presidents fall out of the barrel of a gun.”

Golez said he hoped for a peaceful resolution.

“We have to be very prudent about this,” he said. “There is tension there is no doubt. They are also surrounded by government troops. This is similar to the 1989 coup attempt.”

In 1989, rebel troops occupied the same area, including the Intercontinental, which they used as a temporary headquarters. They held on to it, deploying snipers on top of the hotel and nearby high-rises, for several days until they were persuaded to surrender.

Defence Minister Angelo Reyes said officials did not want the current siege to drag on “because it will affect the economy, the stock market and everything”.

Arroyo is scheduled to give her annual state of the nation address tomorrow.

Armoured personnel carriers which were dispatched to guard the gates of the presidential palace on the other side of the city were reinforced with more vehicles and elite troops early today.

The rebellious officers issued a statement early today demanding the government resignation and saying they were prepared to die to force change.

A separate video showing 36 officers accused the government of selling arms and ammunition to Muslim and communist rebels, staging recent deadly bombings to justify more aid from the United States, and preparing to declare martial law to stay in power.

“We are not the bad guys here. We are the good guys,” said Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes, one of the men Arroyo ordered arrested.

“We are not attempting to grab power. We are just trying to express our grievances.

“These explosives are set to defend our position. If they try to take us down, we will be forced to use it.”

He claimed his forces had about 2,000 officers and men in the Manila area and around the country.

Military officials said they believed the number was much smaller.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Lucero urged the men to surrender, saying in a statement: “This is not the right way to express our sentiments. In this kind of adventurism, only the enlisted personnel will suffer.”

Arroyo was sworn in as president as her predecessor, Joseph Estrada, was forced out in January 2001 by mass protests over his alleged corruption. Supporters of Estrada continue to challenge her legitimacy as leader.

Estrada was moved today from a military hospital where he has been detained while on trial on corruption charges to the military’s Camp Aguinaldo amid concerns that there might be an effort to free him.

Former President Corazon Aquino, who faced several coup attempts in the late 1980s by officers complaining about corruption, went on television to urge citizens to pray for Arroyo to navigate through the current crisis.

“Let us remember that this democracy is not only our right but also our responsibility,” Aquino said.

Arroyo, a 56-year-old economist, has enjoyed generally solid public support and is one of the staunchest U.S. allies in Asia. 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.