Luxury putsch peters out

Press, 9 July 1986, Page 10

Luxury putsch peters out

NZPA-Reuter Manila Supporters of the deposed Philippines leader, Ferdinand Marcos, who seized a luxury Manila hotel on Sunday in an abortive coup attempt, bowed to a Government deadline early yesterday and left the hotel. The police entered the hotel in the heart of Manila at 6 a.m. (local time) and took control of the building where the former Foreign Minister, Arturo Tolentino, six generals, 180 soldiers and about 100 civilians had been holed up since Sunday night.

About 200 soldiers around the Manila Hotel surrendered on Monday.

. The generals and the remaining soldiers had already left the hotel and the civilians ran out as the police moved in. Some of the armed troops who ringed the area entered the building to look for booby-trhps. The Defence Minister, Mr Juan Ponce Enrlle, set the 6 a.m. deadline and said that rebel soldiers would be allowed to rejoin their units if they left the hotel by noon. Mr Tolentino, aged 75, had himself sworn in as Acting President of the Philippines on Sunday and occupied a room at the hotel. He was not in the hotel yesterday morning

and apparently spent the night elsewhere.

He led the bizarre attempt to install a new Government on behalf of Mr Marcos, which the President, Mrs Corazon Aquino, said was a bid to destabilise her 19-week-old Administration.

In Washington the White House said on Monday that it would state its views strongly to Mr Marcos about any attempt to undermine Mrs Aquino’s Administration. American officials said they were convinced that Mr Marcos was behind the take-over attempt by Mr Tolentino, but that they had no proof of this.

Mr Tolentino claimed that Mr Marcos and he had won th'e disputed election in February. Rick Serrano, who described himself as a former Government official speaking on behalf of the rebel generals, said it had been agreed that j the occupation of the i hotel would end peacefully and without bloodshed.

The police removed road-blocks' and barricades set up by Marcos supporters } before entering the hotel.

The manager of the hotel, Mr? Franz Schutzman, said , there had been considerable damage to the property.