i am quoting an article from  today's philippine daily inquirer. i was baffled myself because i didn't know how to call the action made by senator antonio trillanes and company when i was on air covering the event yesterday. i called it simply as manila pen or makati siege (because they really held traffic in makati and the people inside the manila pen against their will when the magdalo soldiers guarded the doors and locked them).

Is it a coup, mutiny, putsch, situation, or what?

By Minerva Generalao, Eliza Victoria
Inquirer
Last updated 05:14am (Mla time) 11/30/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- When asked by a reporter what term to use to describe what was happening at the Manila Peninsula hotel, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said that it was a “situation.”

Felipe Miranda, political science professor at the University of the Philippines, agreed that it was a “situation” albeit a “critical situation.”

Miranda said that this was because the impact would not be so much with the civilian population but with those within the military as the “situation” may make them make up their mind, take sides and quietly do some things.

Political analyst Jose Abueva said in a phone interview that the “situation” could be considered a mutiny “in a sense, since [former Army Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo] Lim and [Sen. Antonio] Trillanes are military people.”

Both Trillanes and Lim have asked for the President’s resignation, with Lim calling for the formation of a new government in a statement read on TV.

Abueva said that what Trillanes and company had staged cannot be considered a coup d’etat since a coup required an “armed attempt to remove an official.”

Sudden, swift action

Miranda also said that calling the “situation” a coup was not quite accurate. He said that a coup involved sudden and swift action but both Lim and Trillanes had repeatedly voiced their grievances and their call for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for some time now.

Trillanes demanded the resignation of Ms Arroyo in July 2003 when he led over 300 soldiers in what is now called the Oakwood Mutiny, also in Makati City.

According to Abueva, what term to use is not the point.

“The point is, if the government can’t stop these seditious people, the government will lose authority. The President will lose her legitimacy,” he said.

The terms used to refer to political action against an authority or a government by the military include the following:

• Coup d’état or simply coup: A sudden and decisive action in politics, especially one resulting in a change of government illegally or by force. The term is French and literally means “stroke concerning the state” (coup, hit, and état, state).

• Putsch: A plotted revolt or attempt to overthrow a government especially one that depends upon suddenness and speed. The Swiss German word literally means violent blow, clash or shock. It was introduced in the sense of a “coup” to refer to Swiss popular uprisings in the 1830s, especially the Zurich revolt of September 1839.

• Mutiny: Concerted disobedience or seditious action by persons in military or naval service, or by sailors on commercial vessels. Mutiny may range from a combined refusal to obey orders to active revolt or going over to the enemy on the part of two or more persons. In the Armed Forces it is considered one of the gravest crimes against military law.

• Rebellion: Open, organized, and armed resistance to one’s government or ruler. In the most general sense, a refusal to accept authority and may include a range of action and behaviors from civil disobedience to a violent organized attempt to destroy established authority. Those who participate in rebellions are known as “rebels.”

the philippine government has declared a five-hour curfew beginning at 12 am of november 30, 2007 until 5 am of the same day after the failed manila peninsula (makati city) siege lead by senator antonio trillanes iv and brig. general danilo lim, both headliners of another failed coup attempt in 2003 (oakwood mutiny).

according to dilg secretary ronaldo puno, pnp check points will be set up in different parts of metro manila, regions 3 (central luzon) and 4 (southern luzon). people who will be out in the streets on the said hours will be questioned for the legitimacy of their trips.

it is important to observe the following:

1. bring your identification cards and other documents pertaining to your identities

2. state a legitimate reason for being out during the curfew

3. don't carry firearms or other deadly weapons (although licensed) outside of your homes

this is just temporary, puno assured. but if there will be suspicious movements or significant actions connected to the makati siege, they will reimpose the curfew.

there is no suspension of rights and this is definitely not martial law, according to the government.

some people are complaining that the government is over-reacting to the situation. they could have just set up checkpoints but not impose a curfew. they could have avoided ramming the doors and the lobby of the manila pen with the apv's. they could have avoided gassing up the people inside the hotel.

but, according to the authorities,  if these measures weren't undertaken, the crisis won't end tonight and bloodshed would surely follow.

it's a good thing also that  trillanes finally gave in. maybe, it's because he realized also that they weren't able to generate that much support from the people. or maybe, this is really a case of a badly-executed plan.