Alleged Philippine Coup Plotters March Against Arroyo (Update1)

[MaggieSwanson]

Source: Bloomberg News

Nov. 29 (Bloomberg) -- A Philippine Senator on trial for his alleged role in a failed 2003 coup attempt walked out of a Manila court hearing with his guards and headed to the Peninsula Hotel and demanded that President Gloria Arroyo resign.

About 30 soldiers assigned to guard Senator Antonio Trillanes at the hearing may have joined him, Philippine National Police spokesman Samuel Pagdilao said in a phone interview. The government has ringed the hotel with military trucks and shield- carrying police, and ordered guests to leave, Manila Police Chief Geary Barias said. Trillanes and his group have been given a 3 p.m. deadline to surrender.

<snip>

In 2003, Trillanes led a group of soldiers who took over another Manila hotel, saying they had ringed the area with bombs. They demanded Arroyo and top defense and military officials resign on corruption allegations. They surrendered in a day.

Trillanes won a Senate seat from jail this year.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aJCHu3eAGa2g&refer=asia

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I'm in Manila, been here since May, and I will keep you posted as to how this unfolds.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Manila rebel soldiers surrender

Renegade soldiers who barricaded themselves in a luxury hotel in Manila have surrendered following an assault on the building by Philippine troops.

The rebels, some with their handcuffed hands in the air, were led out of the Peninsula Hotel onto a bus by police.

The leader of the rebels, Sen Antonio Trillanes, said they were ending their action to save the lives of civilians and journalists inside the hotel.
...
Troops fired tear gas, and live footage from outside the hotel showed an armoured personnel carrier smashing into the lobby, while two more were parked in front.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7118456.stm