Trillanes and Lim Camped at Manila Peninsula & Curfew

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11:45 AM– Trillanes and Lim Stage a Coup in Makati? As usual, I first heard of the breaking news , the “coup” from a Twitter message by Arbet

“Something is brewing at Makati involving Magdalo.”

This was followed by Ederic’s twit on Trillanes and Lim Walk out of Court Hearing.

Too busy with work or in denial, I ignored the news until my husband called up a few minutes ago. He said “Turn on the TV and check if there is a coup”. So here I am blogging and watching the ANC Channel who are covering the breaking news. I switch to twitter and catch Ederic’s twitter on the Panawagan sa Bayan Ng “mga miyembro ng Armed Forces of the Philippines” is in Tagalog so I am still trying to decipher their demands.

 

From what I gather in the news, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and his supporters are appealing…

“Ito po ay panawagan ng pagbabago. Ang naniniwala po na dapat tayo makaahon sa kahirapan, pumunta na po kayo sa Makati (This is a call for change. All those who believe that we should rise from poverty, join us and come here in Makati),” Trillanes told GMA News.

Trillanes is so “original”. After Oakwood Hotel, he latches on to Manila Peninsula where they are setting up a command center on the second floor. I don’t wonder anymore why anyone voted for Trillanes. I mean, wow… how noble he is to bring us out of poverty. Maybe my tolerance for pain is quite high even if I sympathize with the poor, but another coup attempt from Trillanes smacks of power hungry motives. Besides does a five star hotel and poverty mix well? Two Bishops, Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona and some civilians are some of the first supporters to join Trillanes in the hotel.

This latest coup attempt looks like it was planned beforehand. Look at their Sundalo Tagapagtanggol ng Pilipino website.

Oh dear, are they now planning a People Power Part 3? or is it Part 4?

Watch the video
Watch video from Inquirer.net

6:19 PM– Trillanes agrees to leave hotel . I’m watching the news live in News Patrol. A group of policemen escorts a handcuffed Trillanes inside a high security bus followed by ex-VP Guingona and others including media. The Technical crew of ABS-CBN are handcuffed. Wow. And is that bus inside a hotel lobby? Manila Peninsula must be in a sorry mess right now. I just don’t understand why the media men are handcuffed.

7:00PM– Reason that Media had to be processed. Police had earlier said they were taking the journalists who covered the standoff from inside the hotel to the National Capital Region Police Office in Bicutan for questioning.

7:09PM Curfew from 12 midnight to 5:00 AM. The curfew was issued “to allow law enforcement agencies to continue their follow-up operation.” The imposition of the curfew reminds me of my life during the Martial Law days. But the curfew freaked my daughter out. She cries “It’s totally destroying my social life” after I forbid her from going out for her band practice.

8:00 PM– I am glad that the Trillanes revolt was crushed. At least 101 persons were arrested inside the hotel , Philippine National Police Director General Avelino Razon said. You know, whatever the government does, their actions will be criticized. At least, the revolt didn’t last for days. Remember the coup in November 29, 1989? It lasted for 10 days because Cebu military refused to give up.

Who doesn’t want poverty to be eradicated? Who doesn’t want a government for the people, free from scandal and corruption? We have tried People Power but did it work? I can only do my share by teaching my children the proper moral values for being a good citizen of our country. Let’s start change in our family, our values and our attitudes.

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Earthquake in Manila

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A strong earthquake hit Manila at around 12:27 PM, November 27, 2007. It lasted around 5 seconds or so but it was strong. At the second floor of my home, I could see the hanging lights sway. Feeling like the world was going to collapse, I yelled at Lauren who happened to be at the phone oblivious to the earth rocking to and fro. I kept yelling “earthquake” but no she ignored me and continued yakking on the phone. Oh and as I was getting dizzy, I could hear a barrage of text message alerts spewing out of my cellphone . AJ Matela , Jeff , Marhgil and others were twittering (Aka micro-blogging) live as the earthquake shook Metro Manila.

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Technorati’s Philippine Top 100 Blogs

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top100.gif I was googling for my name and discovered that my blog is now on Technorati’s Philippine Top 100 Blogs (View stats here). In fact at the bottom rank at number 92 with Rank: 71,446 (103 links from 41 sites). Not too bad at all considering the official launch of this blog was on February 2006. A big thank you to all my beautiful readers who believe my blog is link worthy. Please sign my map so I know what part of the world you are coming from. (Thanks to Cathy for the link)

Chatting with Bayantel guys

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I’m right now at the VOIP conference having a lunch break. Remember that entry I wrote about the Bayantel ad? I visited their Bayantel booth to check out their Sky Internet VOIP services. For their cheapest subscription fee of 499 pesos a month with a 2900 pesos installation fee, one can get clear voice calls for as low as 5 pesos per minute and 100 minutes free voice calls. Then I met Ricky, the associate brand manager and I couldn’t help asking him “What is that satisfaction guarantee?“. I introduced myself as the blogger who wrote that entry. “Ah so you are the one who wrote that? I finally meet the writer. “, he laughed. Apparently, their satisfaction guarantee is a 15 day money back guarantee. So why couldn’t the ad agency or their marketing guys promote the “15 days money back guarantee” instead of that tasteless ad? I wanted to test their Sky Internet VOIP services but my sister in San Francisco barred incoming calls. The satisfaction guarantee has yet to be tested . If and I ever get satisfied, I don’t intend to look like that model in their tasteless billboard ad. Anyway, I am looking forward to talk to the Brand Manager later for other business questions.

VoIP Conference 2006

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VOIPJust came from the First International VoIP Conference in the Philippines at the World Trade Center. The conference is timely because the House of Representatives just recently approved the VoIP deregulation bill on June 5, 2006. The Senate has yet to approve it. [tag]Voice Over Internet Protocol[/tag] ([tag]VOIP[/tag]) is a transmission technology that uses the internet to send voice and image in real time. Bah, I’m tired to talk about it so just browse the photo gallery

Ban on billboards

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Edit- October 2, 2006– Read Total Ban of Billboards in congested areas in the Philippines.

It says in the news that “FOLLOWING complaints from motorists, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has finally drafted a circular which would ban billboards from being displayed alongside major roads nationwide.” Larger-than-life billboards like Bayantel Ad and scantily-clad models in Bench ads are a distraction to motorists. Not only that, these billboards destroy the landscape of Metro Manila. Once approved, it would prohibit the putting up of advertising billboards or signs within a 100-meter radius of the center of national roads as well as transmission lines. It also calls for the removal within six months of existing display boards within the 100-meter radius. Now, I wonder when this will be implemented.

Speaking of Bayantel, I’ve been getting so many hits from them and probably comments from their staff or their PR guys. (check the latest comments in this entry: Bayantel Ad:Sex in Advertising )