Hours after dozens of insurgent Filipino soldiers took over a shopping and apartment complex in downtown Manila this morning, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appeared on national television and gave them an ultimatum to surrender by later today. “I am giving you up to 5 o’clock this afternoon to stand down,” Mrs. Arroyo said. “Past this deadline, the chief of staff is authorized to use reasonable force to dislodge your group quickly and efficiently and arrest you,” she added. The approximately 50 soldiers — protesting alleged government corruption and low pay — rigged the building with explosives, one of their leaders told reporters earlier this morning. “These explosives are set to defend our position,” said the leader of the mutineers, Navy Lt. Antonio Trillanes. “If they try to take us down, we will be forced to use it.” Full Story
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