Thursday, November 29, 2007
Breaking News: Philippines Hotel Siege: Officers Give In
Sky.com - A group of renegade Filipino army officers have voluntarily left a hotel in central Manila which they had seized control of, sparking a siege by security forces.
The officers were demanding that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo resign.
Shortly before walking out of the hotel the leader of the rebels had said the group would give themselves up to avoid bloodshed, as SWAT teams prepared to storm the building.
Television pictures from inside the hotel appeared to suggest tear gas had been fired into the building.
Rebels wearing red armbands and journalists could be seen covering their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs to protect against the gas.
An armoured vehicle surrounded by armed men had been seen ramming the front door of the hotel.
Antonio Trillanes, a senator and leader of the rebel officers, held a news conference inside the hotel in which he said he and his colleagues would give themselves up.
He said: "Now, like soldiers, we are going to face this."
Asked what he was prepared for, he said: "Whatever - whatever they would want to do to me.
"We are going out for the sake of the safety of everybody - for your sake, because we won't live with our conscience if some of you get hurt or get killed in the crossfire."
He defended his actions, saying it was "tantamount to treason" to stand by and not take action against Ms Arroyo's administration. And he said the violence came from the government forces and not from his group.
Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, left-wing leaders and two Roman Catholic bishops joined the military men at the hotel.
The officers had earlier defied a deadline to surrender after storming out of their trial for a coup which failed four years ago.
The trial relates to a 2003 insurrection in which troops commandeered a shopping centre and demanded that Ms Arroyo step down.
The officers were demanding that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo resign.
Shortly before walking out of the hotel the leader of the rebels had said the group would give themselves up to avoid bloodshed, as SWAT teams prepared to storm the building.Television pictures from inside the hotel appeared to suggest tear gas had been fired into the building.
Rebels wearing red armbands and journalists could be seen covering their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs to protect against the gas.
An armoured vehicle surrounded by armed men had been seen ramming the front door of the hotel.
Antonio Trillanes, a senator and leader of the rebel officers, held a news conference inside the hotel in which he said he and his colleagues would give themselves up.He said: "Now, like soldiers, we are going to face this."
Asked what he was prepared for, he said: "Whatever - whatever they would want to do to me.
"We are going out for the sake of the safety of everybody - for your sake, because we won't live with our conscience if some of you get hurt or get killed in the crossfire."
He defended his actions, saying it was "tantamount to treason" to stand by and not take action against Ms Arroyo's administration. And he said the violence came from the government forces and not from his group.
Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, left-wing leaders and two Roman Catholic bishops joined the military men at the hotel.
The officers had earlier defied a deadline to surrender after storming out of their trial for a coup which failed four years ago.
The trial relates to a 2003 insurrection in which troops commandeered a shopping centre and demanded that Ms Arroyo step down.
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