Chaos in Manila - Call for President Arroyo to Resign

(Manila, Philippines) About eight hours ago (11 AM Manila time), chaos erupted in a courtroom of the Makati City Hall after guards of Sen. Antonio Trillanes brandished guns at his court hearing and called for President Arroyo's resignation. Sen. Trillanes and a group of soldiers were on trial for an alleged 2003 coup plot.

Subsequently, ABS-CBN News reported the following sequence of events. Pretty exciting night, I'd say. All times are approximate.

11:30 AM - Brandishing guns, Sen. Trillanes, Army Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and his soldiers walked out of court and proceeded to storm the luxury Manila Peninsula Hotel while calling for the ouster of President Arroyo.

11:50 AM - National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales denounced Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and his renegade group of soldiers.

12:10 PM - Philippine National Police (PNP) placed on full alert.

12:50 PM - Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz joins the rebellion in support of Trillanes.

2:00 PM - Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno said the government will end the crisis before day's end. Philippine Senate calls for a peaceful resolution.

2:40 PM - President Arroyo ordered the PNP to arrest rebel soldiers.

2:45 PM - Philippine military rushes 1,500 troops to Manila. Guests start evacuating the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

3:00 PM - Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said President Arroyo will not declare a state of emergency.

3:15 PM - Security forces of the military and police set to storm the Manila Peninsula Hotel to arrest renegade soldiers.

3:35 PM - Rebel soldiers refuse to accept arrest warrants. Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said he expects the worst to happen.

3:50 PM - Commanding General of the Philippine Army said his chain of command in intact and President Arroyo is the Armed Forces Commander in Chief.

3:58 PM - At least 50 Special Weapons and Tactics Commandos (SWAT) are poised to enter the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

4:06 PM - Warning shots fired by police in full-battle gear.

4:45 PM - United States reaffirms support for President Arroyo's government.

4:53 PM - Tear gas canisters fired into the Manila Peninsula Hotel lobby. Gunfire commences.

5:00 PM - Government troops scale hotel, lob tear gas.

5:05 PM - Full scale assault by government troops, volleys of gunfire heard.

5:11 PM - Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) rams through the main entrance to the hotel.

5:20 PM - Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Army Brig. Gen. Danny Lim decide to surrender.

6:20 PM - Sen. Trillanes was dragged out of the Manila Peninsula Hotel in handcuffs after surrendering to government troops. He was put on a waiting bus of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

"I will face [the charges]," the senator said, adding that his group decided to surrender out of concern of the safety of civilians and mediamen trapped with them in the hotel.

"Like I said before we are going out for the sake of the safety .... for your sake," he said referring to members of the media, civilians and employees of the hotel.

After Trillanes, former vice-president Teofisto Guingona and Army Brig. Gen. Danny Lim were also hauled into the same bus.

Notably and it's not clear why, some members of the media were also arrested.

In the category of government takeovers, I think this one pretty much sucked.

Companion post at The Jawa Report.