Babe's Eye View article

The swift action by government forces to end the Manila Pen standoff was welcomed by almost all segments of society particularly the business sector. As pointed out to me by Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, GMA gave them the instructions to act decisively. Prolonging the agony would have been a disaster for the country.

Another try, another coup. So what else is new? Even if the present administration leaves much to be desired as shown by the surveys, it's clear however, people no longer want change through violence.

Judging from the people's cold reception to Antonio Trillanes' call to join him and his gang, it's obvious the support he had been counting on has dwindled and has come down to almost zilch. Instead of sympathy, Filipinos—especially the twenty-somethings—only felt irritation at the stunt pulled by Trillanes, Danny Lim and the Magdalo rebels. Trillanes made himself the butt of text jokes and nasty comments, with people saying the rebels have perfect bad timing, staging their walkout during bad weather with nobody willing to get drenched for yet another attempt at "people power."

The fact that Trillanes chose a five-star hotel makes it obvious that he was out to destroy the economy and make everyone suffer in the process. He thought he was showing defiance by walking out and holing up at the Manila Pen—but the Stock Exchange showed more defiance because the stocks performed even better, as if to prove that coup threats no longer have the power to scare off investors.

The Makati stand-off has made people realize that the stunt pulled by Trillanes and his gang was a last-ditch attempt to escape prosecution. It was a self-serving action exploited by a man who wanted to foist his personal grievances and pass it off as concern for the nation. He showed so much promise, and people believed his call for change because they elected him to a senatorial position even when he could not campaign during the last elections.

People were expecting him to bring about change in a responsible manner. But perhaps his impatience, his ego and his Messianic complex got the better of him. He outdid himself this time and blew it—reducing his image from a senator to a thug—especially when his gang arrogantly rammed their way into the hotel, disarming the guards, totally ignoring the pleading hotel staff. They acted as if they owned the private establishment using the power of the gun.

The GMA administration clearly scored a lot of points when they swiftly put an end to the standoff. Judging from the text messages I received the whole day last Thursday, it's clear that people are sick and tired of trouble makers. Some were so exasperated they even suggested getting all the guests out before bombing the place to get rid of Trillanes and his gang once and for all. The PNP was right to apply the full force of the law on anyone who would try to sow chaos and anarchy, showing that they have the capability to enforce law and order in this country.

Instead of undermining her position, the Manila Pen standoff even served to strengthen the hand of GMA. The international community actually admired the way she handled the situation. She showed guts and did not blink in the face of a serious threat, much like the way Cory Aquino fought off several coup attempts during her presidency. It looks like Filipino women have, as they say, more "cojones" than the men.

In any case, foreigners were astounded by the media circus created by the Manila Pen episode. Media influences the way people react to a situation, and with today's high technology, people were able to watch everything that was going on even on their cellphones. But media's rowdiness and jockeying for position—ramming on anything that got in their way—made most of them act much like the paparazzi.

Visitors including my balikbayan friend Larry Martinez from New York who saw the whole drama could not believe the media circus. It's understandable that in today's highly competitive world, reporters want to get their stories firsthand, but they should have been more disciplined and listened to the warnings when it became apparent that the police would mount a dangerous operation.

While the whole affair's swift resolution was applauded by many, the police should have forcibly evicted media people from the premises before the fact—instead of after the fact. Arresting and rounding them off after the operation was unnecessary. Based on the information I received, government forces had instructions to "take no prisoners" if the rebels resisted. Ironically, media's presence saved Trillanes and his cohorts. They are lucky to be alive.

Government's swift action probably saved this country from a prolonged agony and its disastrous consequences. It also became clear that Filipinos are tired of this kind of destabilization. They want change to come through peaceful means, knowing that any kind of rebellion or even an EDSA people power revolution is no longer an option. Change will come, but it has to be through a democratic process. To do otherwise could result in consequences that we don't even want to think about.

People have little or no sympathy for troublemakers and self-proclaimed Messiahs who believe they are God's gift to this country. The irony is, this country is gifted by God with so many blessings. Sadly, somehow all of us are guilty one way or another of being ungrateful. One day, Filipinos will rise to the occasion—and it will come sooner than you think.