Senator and Brigadier General and officers of Magdalo Group
TFC this morning showing the famous Magdalo group, from 2003, holed up in the Peninsular hotel in Ayala avenue today, have been given until 3pm, to get out of the hotel and give themselves up.
At least one senator and Brigadier General with troops armed with M16's are guarding the peninsular hotel where they are holding a press conference, calling for the usual resignation of PGMA.
SWAT teams and PNP are outside ready to storm the building, but so far nothing has transpired, they are calling for PGMA to step down and resign, and complaining about corruption in government.
From Philstar:
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Well-dressed guests were eating in ritzy restaurants at the Makati Peninsula hotel when dozens of uniformed soldiers burst in this morning, took over the building and sent the patrons fleeing.
Talk about deja vu.
Four years after disgruntled troops, led by a charismatic young navy lieutenant, seized a Manila hotel in a daylong uprising, the same men walked out of their trial over the incident and barged into another hotel to again press their demands for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign.
Hundreds of guests were soon scrambling to vacate rooms as security forces surrounded the Peninsula in the rain.
"I lived here for four years, so I understand the way it is," said Tom Collins of Honolulu, who flew in for a wedding at the hotel. "It's just an inconvenience. I don't think this was handled well."
Coup plots are nothing new in the Philippines. In the years since democracy was restored in 1986, there have been some half dozen failed attempts by soldiers to seize power from democratically elected governments. Arroyo, who came to power in 2001 in the Philippines' second "people power" revolt, has faced down at least three efforts to unseat her.
Each time, confidence in the country's economy and its image as a stable democracy have been eroded.
"When they see something like this, people will not come here," said businessman Peter Randel, from Sydney, Australia. "My friends were coming but guess they won't come here any more."
The Peninsula management said 310 out of the 497 rooms were occupied before the drama began.
About 200 guests led the massive check-out, lining up in the reception area with hastily packed bags. Some carried their clothes in plastic bags.
Originally Posted by fred
