World watches live as troops
assault hotel to end stand-off

MANILA – Troops stormed the Peninsula Hotel in Makati City in a flurry of gunfire and tear gas yesterday, forcing the surrender of a band of renegade soldiers who were demanding that President Gloria Arroyo step down.

Journalists who covered the siege were also taken into custody, many of whom were in handcuffs.

The rebels, who seized and occupied the luxury hotel to drive home their criticisms of the Arroyo government, gave themselves up after a dramatic confrontation broadcast live on television screens around the world.

Negros officials condemn
siege, call for punishment
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Negros Occidental officials yesterday condemned the six-hour Makati siege staged by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and their companions for violating the law and called for decisive government action against those involved.

But Felipe Levy Gelle Jr., Bayan Negros secretary general, said the standoff in Makati is the result of the continuing and festering problems involving the Arroyo regime.

“The issues raised by the rebel soldiers have been long standing problems of the country; these include the absence of legitimacy of the president, massive corruption and human rights abuses,” Gelle said.

Visayas Army,
police go on alert
BY GILBERT BAYORAN & NIDA BUENAFE

Military and police units in Western and Central Visayas went on full alert and declared their continued support to the Arroyo administration amid the holding out of the group of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim at the Manila Peninsula hotel yesterday.

Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado, commanding general of the AFP Central Command in the Visayas, said the entire military in the Visayas remained loyal to the duly-constituted government, and strictly adhere to the chain of command.

The CenCom commanded headed by Ibrado, a Negrense Army general, supervises at least 20,000 soldiers in the Visayas.