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ThePhilippines was under astate of emergency, announced by presidential spokespersonIgnacio Bunye on the morning of February 24, 2006, by the virtue of Proclamation No. 1017. This occurred after thegovernment claimed that it foiled an allegedcoup d'état attempt against the rule ofPresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo earlier that same day. State security services also claimed that it had arrested a general who was involved in the coup attempt.
The state of national emergency also led to a temporary suspension of lower-level education classes and an immediate revocation on alllicenses and permits to holddemonstrations andprotests. The government also suspended all public activities on the same day and even on succeeding days. Under the provisions of the1987 Constitution, the government was allowed at the moment to detain anyone indefinitely without the privilege of the writ ofhabeas corpus.
President Arroyo assured Filipinos that the situation was under control[1] and the state of emergency would not be abused.[2]
Arroyo had justified the declaration of a state of emergency with her statement of "clear and present danger to our Republic that we have discovered and thwarted." Critics claimed that this was an attempt by Arroyo to seizepolitical power due to her sagging influence and popularity, and some drew similarities to the actions of her predecessor,Ferdinand Marcos, when he declaredmartial law in 1972.
On March 3, 2006 (one week after the proclamation), by the virtue of Proclamation No. 1021, the President lifted the state of emergency.
The coup attempt follows the 2003Oakwood mutiny where President Arroyo, certain members of hercabinet, and themilitary were charged withcorruption and theHello Garci scandal, where in 2004, Arroyo and certain election officials were charged withelectoral fraud in the2004 presidential elections.
This also comes afterExecutive Order No. 464, where the President forbade government officials under theExecutive branch to attendFilipino Congressional hearings, and the Calibrated Pre-Emptive Response, where street protests were disallowed without securing a rally permit.
This led to a drop at the president'spopularity ratings from +28% right afterEDSA II to -30% by December 2005.[3]
| Oplan HACKLE | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Magdalo Troops New Peoples Army |  Philippine Government | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Brigadier Gen.Danilo Lim Various Magdalo Leaders Communist leaders | Philippine PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz General Generoso S. Senga | ||||||
The coup was first reported when 14 junior military officers were arrested for plotting a coup on February 22. Around midnight of the 24th, many military vehicles were seen enteringFort Bonifacio inTaguig. Then, at 2:00 a.m., several more vehicles were seen enteringCamp Aguinaldo onEDSA.Brigadier General Danilo D. Lim of theScout Rangers was put under the custody of theArmed Forces of the Philippines.[4]
Former PresidentJoseph Estrada was awoken by the police around 3:00 a.m. in San Juan Medical Center and was ordered to return to his resthouse inTanay, Rizal. He did not follow the request of the police, because it has no authority from the Sandiganbayan, which was trying him on corruption charges. He said that"Magkakamatayan kami" (over my dead body). His eye operation succeeded despite the political unrest withinMetro Manila.
Hours later, largedemonstrations were held atEDSA Shrine, the site of the firstPeople Power movement in 1986. The presidential residence atMalacañang was placed under heavy guard after alacquerthinner bomb exploded outside of the building on February 23.[5] The coup is part of a plot codenamed "Oplan HACKLE."
Arroyo claimed that the coup was a plan between right-wing factions in the military and leftist anarchists, a highly questionable claim since it has been pointed out that both sides have fought each other in the past, and would make unlikely allies.[6]
By mid-morning,PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo declared amoratorium onall school activities from elementary to college level, issued through the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education. Around 11:25 a.m., Arroyo issued Proclamation No. 1017 on nationaltelevision, placing the entire nation under astate of emergency in an attempt to quell the rebellion — sparking fears that it could lead to the introduction ofmartial law. General Order No. 5 was issued by the President to implement Proclamation No. 1017, ordering theArmed Forces of the Philippines to "maintain the peace and order of thecountry and to protect it from terrorism or chaos."[7]
The Proclamation effectively cancelled all rally permits everywhere, and according to interpretations by theArroyo administration, legalizedarrest without awarrant.
TheEDSA Shrine protesters were dispersed by the police by noontime. Some made their way toLa Salle Green Hills while others went to the annual wreath-laying ceremony atNinoy Aquino's monument on Ayala Avenue inMakati, themetro's central business district.
On the other side of EDSA, protesters led byUniversity of the Philippines ProfessorRandy David were violently dispersed by the security forces at the EDSA-Kamuning intersection. David and Argee Guevarra were arrested and was charged with inciting tosedition in Camp Karingal inQuezon City. He was later released by nighttime, with all of the charges dropped. Ronald Llamas, a leader of the center-leftAkbayan party, was arrested as well.[8]
Around 3:30 p.m. demonstrators from different sectors gathered around at the Ninoy Aquino Monument inMakati to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 1986People Power Revolution. Prominent personalities like former PresidentCorazon Aquino and her daughterKris Aquino,Senate PresidentFranklin Drilon, formerVice PresidentTeofisto Guingona, Bishop Teodoro Bacani and Bishop Oscar Cruz, as well as other senators likeAquilino Pimentel, Jr. took part. Protesters believed that Makati would be a safe gathering place because it was governed by oppositionist MayorJejomar Binay. However, numerous police personnel were deployed in the area. The traditional throwing ofconfetti was carried out by some building occupants and a helicopter. The rally was dispersed by thePhilippine National Police around 7:30 p.m.,[9] contrary to the statement of the police which said that the protesters "voluntarily" left the site.
On the morning of February 26, the Armed Forces denied thetext messages stating that there would be unusual military movements.[10] Malacañang said that those statements who came from Mayor J. V. Ejercito ofSan Juan, Metro Manila are not true. Mayor Ejercito denied the information that came from Malacañang. Malacañang also said that there are no unauthorized troop movements.
At around 6:00 p.m. on February 26 Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda was either relieved from his position as Commandant of thePhilippine Marines[11] or was requested to resign.Philippine Navy Chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga and Malacañang said that Miranda asked to be relieved for personal reasons, while others perceived it as his termination. He was replaced by Brig. Gen. Nelson Allaga as Acting Commandant of Philippine Marines. Colonel Ariel Querubin protested these moves[12] by the Navy, and some marines went to the camp chapel of Fort Bonifacio to start a prayer vigil in protest that could have led to a "withdrawal of support".[13][14] Presidential Chief-of-Staff Mike Defensor said the decision was within the military, thus Malacañang had no influence on the matter. He also said that media should not cover the events happening at Fort Bonifacio; major privately owned stations defied the suggestion and covered the situation.
The Armed Forces implemented countermeasures, such as blocking Lawton Avenue (the main road to the Fort) from possible protesters, turning off the lights in the Fort, and deploying loyalist troops. However, former President Corazon Aquino, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Jr., SenatorRamon Magsaysay, Jr., RepresentativesBenigno Aquino III andImee Marcos, andDe La Salle University President Bro. Armin Luistro, FSC, went to Fort Bonifacio with other prominent opposition members, but the Civil Disturbance Team arrived at 7:05 pm to control civilians. Civil society held their prayer vigils in front of the Fort, led by theLa Salle Brothers.
That evening, Capt. Geronimo said that the crisis was over. The newly appointed Commandant of Philippine Marine Corps, Brig. Gen. Nelson Allaga, assumed control of all the marines, and Querubin was later discharged from the services, bidding his comrades goodbye inMarawi City. Brig. Gen. Allaga also announced their situation was over[15] and that the whole Philippine Marine Corps will still will follow the "chain of command"[16] despite earlier events. This decision came from a gentleman's agreement by officers to vote on whether or not to follow the chain of command, with a result of nine against six.[17]
After the crisis, most people in front of Fort Bonifacio left,[18] and as a response Malacañang suspended classes on all levels the following day,.[19] Col. Querubin was relieved from his position as commander of the 1st Marine Brigade, with Lt. Col. Luisito Marcelino as his temporary replacement.[20][21]
After theMakati rally, theDepartment of Justice sued former SenatorGregorio Honasan, who had previously led coups against the Aquino government in the 1980s, along with the other six leaders of the RAM (Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansâ, "Nationalist Revolutionary Alliance"), for the 2003 Oakwood mutiny. On February 25, ANAK-PAWIS Party-list RepresentativeCrispin Beltran was served an arrest warrant and taken in for questioning under state of emergency laws for his alleged role in a 1985 coup againstFerdinand Marcos. This was considered a highly unusual and controversial move since the alleged crime was from twenty years prior. Beltrán responded, "They say this is just an invitation but I think this is an arrest. Warrantless arrest, I think there will be more to come."[22] Beltrán underwent inquest by the police on February 27, and was charged with "inciting torebellion" and "conspiracy to commit rebellion."
Police next unsuccessfully tried to arrestBayan Muna Party-list RepresentativeSatur Ocampo. The former chief of thePhilippine Constabulary and former national security adviser to former PresidentFidel V. Ramos retired General Ramon Montaño, was also arrested by the police.[23][24] He was charged with inciting sedition, while former Police General Rex Piad was also arrested, but it was later revealed that there was no evidence to support the act.
On that same day, the PNP–CIDG filed cases against 51 alleged communists, including five party-list representatives (Beltrán, Ocampo,Teodoro Casiño,Joel Virador andLiza Maza), at the DOJ in violation of Article 134, in relation to Article 135 of the Revised Penal Code (rebellion/insurrection). A panel of prosecutors were assigned to the group, dubbed the "Batasan 5", but failed to find them guilty.[25] Minority floor leader Rep. Francis Escudero ofSorsogon appealed to House SpeakerJose de Venecia to halt the arrests of congressmen during the state of emergency. De Venecia assured protection for the members of the House,[26] and offered his office and conference room as lodging. For 70 days, the five took refuge in the House of Representatives.[27] On May 11, the DOJ filed new charges against the Batasan 5 for plotting to instigate a rebellion onLabor Day.
During a state of emergency, the government could control public utilities, which includes media, according to the constitution. Gonzalez assured Filipinos that the government would not use these powers unnecessarily. However, there were reports that the Arroyo government suppressed the freedom of the press.
On February 25, thePNP–CIDG raidedThe Daily Tribune for alleged assistance to leftists and rebel military groups.[28][29][30]
There were also reports that the military surrounded theABS-CBN compound in Mother Ignacia, Diliman, Quezon City. However, they left the premises hours later.
Samahang Plaridel,[31] National Union of Journalists of the Philippines,[32] andCommittee to Protect Journalists expressed disappointment with Proclamation No. 1017, calling it a suppression ofpress freedom.
On March 1,Ash Wednesday,Arroyo has stated that she will lift the "state of emergency" soon, perhaps by the end of the first week of March. The President gives a 24- to 72-hour time frame to theSecretary of Justice, Secretary of National Defense, and to the Chief ofPhilippine National Police to give reports to her before lifting the state of emergency.[33][34][35]
On March 3, by the virtue of Proclamation No. 1021, the Philippine PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo officially concluded state of emergency in the Philippines. The state of emergency (Proclamation No. 1017) lasted oneweek since February 24, 2006. According to her, the state of emergency protected major democratic institutions and even the media.[36][37][38] This led to lowering of security alerts of thePhilippine National Police andArmed Forces of the Philippines.
A number of observers have drawn parallels between the actions of President Arroyo and those ofFerdinand Marcos. Benito Lim, Professor of Political Science at theUniversity of the Philippines, stated, "This is suppression of all freedom. It is in violation of the constitution and the bill of rights. This is the beginning of using stronger measures to quell dissent against the government. Their justification is reminiscent of Marcos when he proclaimed martial law."[39]
On February 24, 2006, thePhilippine National Police violently dispersed protesters from EDSA. TheCatholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines denounced the violence, and advised the President to be calm in handling the protests.[40][41][42] Archbishop Oscar Cruz ofDagupan and other bishops were not happy of the proclamation from the President stating that the Philippines is under a state of emergency,[43] however the CBCP wants the people to be vigilant of the situation.[44]
Former President Ramos said that he was disappointed of the declaration of state of emergency to just prevent an uprising of a small faction of the military, saying it was overkill. The formerPresident described his cold relationship to President Arroyo as "Waning, waning."[45]
Former President Joseph Estrada appealed to Arroyo to remove the declaration of State of Emergency as it will not benefit most of the people in the country. He also condemns "baseless arrests" and the alleged dictatorship rule.[46]
Fernando Poe, Jr.'s widow Susan Roces said that last week, President Arroyo said that she is the best President of the country, "Is this the best?" Roces is referring to the speech of Arroyo regarding a meeting with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) saying: "And let me also make clear: I believe I am the best person to lead this nation through this transition. I was elected to make difficult decisions, and I have made them. Not without mistakes on my part, and certainly not without significant criticism. But I have the experience of hindsight, and I aim to fulfill my term with a steady hand on the helm."[47]
TheLasallian Brothers issued a letter about the current political crisis in the country. One of their main points is: "We wish to reaffirm that the most peaceful and expedient way to resolve the current crisis is for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to make the supreme sacrifice and to resign voluntarily, an option fully in consonance with the Constitution, in order to pave the way for a smooth andpeaceful transition of power." which calls for the resignation of President Arroyo.[48]
In the statement of Presidential Spokesperson Sec. Ignacio Bunye, he said that "The actions of the government have been well calibrated and there is no overkill... Had the President not acted as she did, we would now be under a rightist-communist junta."[49]
Vice PresidentNoli de Castro affirmed President Arroyo's declaration. He said, "I respect the right of the President to declare a state of emergency in order to preserve the peace, maintain law and order, and ensure the protection of human rights and civil liberties of the people for as long as there is imminent threat to public safety."[This quote needs a citation]
However, on March 1, 2006, de Castro wants to remove the state of emergency since "there is no more emergency", according to him.[50][51]
The President cited Article 7 Section 18 of the Constitution which states that: "The President...whenever necessary... may call out the armed forces to prevent or suppress... rebellion..." and Article 12 Section 17 of the Constitution which states that: "In times of national emergency, when the public interest so requires, the State may, during the emergency and under reasonable terms prescribed by it, temporarily take over or direct the operations of privately owned public utilities or business affected with public interest." Sec. Gonzalez of the Department of Justice said that the government had not yet reached that point.[52]
Lawyers question Proclamation No. 1017 stating that the whole nation is under State of Emergency and other actions of the government in theSupreme Court of the Philippines by issuing multiple petitions.[53][54]
Days after the lifting of the declaration of a state of emergency, several Scout Ranger officers, including Lamitan Hero, ArmyCaptain Ruben Guinolbay, were ordered investigated and detained.[55]
Eventually, 25 Scout Rangers officers were arrested but were charged only on August 2, 2006, after several months in detention.[56] Also charged were several Marine officers allegedly involved in the Fort Bonifacio incident.
Those charged were Brigadier General Danilo Lim, Lieutenant Colonels Nestor Flordeliza and Edmundo Malabanjot; Majors Jason Aquino, and Jose Leomar Doctolero; Captains James Sababan, Montano Almodovar, Joey Fontiveros, Ruben Guinolbay, Isagani Criste, William Upano, Dante Langkit, Allan Aurino, and Frederick Sales; and First Lieutenants Ervin Divinagracia, Jacon Cordero, Homer Estolas, Sandro Sereno and Richiemel Caballes of the Philippine Army Scout Rangers. The indicted Marine officers are Major General Renato Miranda,Medal of Valor awardees Col. Ariel Querubin, Lt. Col. Custodio Parcon; Colonels Orlando de Leon, Januario Caringal and Armando Bañez; Lieutenant Colonels Valentin Hizon, Romulo Gualdrapa, and Achilles Segumalian; Maj. Francisco Domingo Fernandez; and 1Lt. Belinda Ferrer.
The pretrial investigation panel formed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, conducted by the Judge Advocate General's Office and headed by Col. Al Pereras recommended the dismissal of the charge of mutiny but the retention of charges for conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman for a few of the detained officers. All charges against Capt. Guinolbay were recommended dismissed.[57] The same however, was overturned by Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon, allegedly upon the recommendation of the Staff Judge Advocate, even as Marine Lt. Cols Valentin Hizon and Romulo Gualdrapa were dropped as accused by Gen. Esperon's exercise of discretion.[58]
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