Philippines: One more crisis, more or less

Tiassa

07-26-03, 07:51 PM

Rebels seize Manila complex (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3099797.stm) Army mutineers have seized a prestigious complex in the Philippines capital, ringing it with what appear to be explosives.

The Australian ambassador is known to be among foreign nationals inside the Glorietta business and hotel complex in the city's financial district.

A retired military officer is negotiating with the mutineers, who are said to be protesting at corruption within the government. There has been no firing at the scene.

President Gloria Arroyo on Saturday ordered the arrest of a number of "rogue" junior officers who had abandoned their posts ....Quite obviously, this story will develop. I remember the rash of coup attempts against Aquino°, but I haven't followed the Philippine situation since college, when I happened to read P.J. O'Rourke's coverage of Aquino's election at about the same time my history/foreign policy class was reading Bonner's Waltzing With a Dictator.

But hey ... what's one more crisis in the world, all things considered? We'll stay tuned ....

Notes:

° coup attempts - It is important to note that, despite a possibly disagreeable methodology, this movement does not consider itself a coup, does not claim to seek to seize authority, and alleges to aim to make certain corruption issues known. You make the call.

:m:,
Tiassa :cool:

Tiassa

07-27-03, 02:30 AM

Manila rebels given ultimatum (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3100033.stm) Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has told mutineers who have seized a commercial complex in the capital, Manila, to surrender or face an all-out assault.

Declaring a nationwide "state of rebellion," Ms Arroyo gave the group of soldiers until 1700 (0900 GMT) to leave the prestigious Glorietta complex in the Makati financial district or be forced out.

The president ordered the military and police "to suppress and quell the rebellion" under special powers given to her by the constitution.

["Disaffected soldiers"] are demanding the resignation of Ms Arroyo and her Defence Minister, Angelo Reyes, accusing the government of corruption.

Residents of an apartment block inside the complex . . . left the compound early on Sunday after being trapped by the incident . . . .

. . . . Correspondents at the scene say the situation is complex, with evidence of mutineers exchanging handshakes with the troops sent to surround them . . . .

. . . . Telling the mutineers that she was their "commander-in-chief", [Arroyo] said:

"You have crossed the line of professionalism and are now engaged in unlawful political action backed by the use of force.

"Your actions are already hovering at the fringes of outright terrorism" . . . . - Video segment (.ram): Philippine President Gloria Arroyo addresses the occupiers of the Glorietta complex (BBC) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/39328000/rm/_39328069_philippines03_arroyo_vi.ram)
- Arroyo sets deadline for mutineers (CNN) (http://edition.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/southeast/07/27/arroyo.officers/)
- Former Philippine President Estrada moved to new jail (CNA) (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southeastasia/view/45427/1/.html)
- Philippine army has been adventurous since 1980s (MSNBC) (http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters07-26-205227.asp?reg=PACRIM)

All in all, I must say that I'm initially impressed by President Arroyo's address to the mutineers.

"Hovering at the fringes of outright terrorism"? It's worth noting that the BBC's report, while somehow sympathetic to the revolutionary cause, notes that the civilians inside the complex are not being held as hostages, and have been released. Apparently the mutineers chose to keep the civilians until daylight to ensure their safety in release. I suppose it's not hard to imagine government troops accidentally complicating a bad situation; such things tend to happen here and there from time to time.

But this is sort of what impresses me about the situation. While the mutineers themselves seem somewhat sincere, and while someday we may find out that they were right and had no other choice, I applaud President Arroyo's restraint. "Hovering at the fringes of outright terrorism." At the moment, it's a fair characterization. By the end, the mutineers may be vindicated, and they may cross the line into open terrorism. Time will tell, but I feel some small obligation to applaud a government for at least giving it a seemingly honest try.

And note the opening of the BBC article. Nowhere in the BBC's cut of Arroyo's address do I hear any talk of an all-out assault. I heard the words "reasonable force" loudly and clearly, but it's too early to presume what that means. Yes, I can see how "reasonable force" comes to include blowing the whole damn thing to pieces, but that's only because I'm an American, and in this country it's more dangerous to not have drugs on you when the police decide to search you for drugs.° But I owe the Arroyo government at least the human trust of the words "reasonable force".

In the end, if the Arroyo government "does everything right" and efficiently and justly handles the situation ... how long will the world care? A whole second and a half?°

Nonetheless, what the world needs now is for one of these bad situations to go extremely well and resolve justly.

Settle in, grab some popcorn. This one should be quick. I know, I know ... it's not exactly pretty lights over Baghdad. Call it the PBS version of human conflict. Low-budget, insignificantly melodramatic, and apparently scripted with an ear toward civility.

Notes:

° more dangerous to not have drugs - We hear much about people being shot when they're the wrong person in the United States; the tinge of sarcasm is intended as a specifically melodramatic counterpoint.

° second and a half - Hopefully this will be the only bitterness I bring to the topic. In actuality, if "all goes well" in Manila, it might become a nearly obsessively exploited example among American university leftists. You might actually, in the future, then, hear an American say, "Why can't we be more like the Philippines?" And I probably won't argue if you skip asking that person if they're kidding and simply take him to the bar and get him drunk enough to enlist in the Philippine army.

:m:,
Tiassa :cool: