STANDOFF WITH FORMER COUP PLOTTERS ENDS PEACEFULLY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANILA 003800 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2017 TAGS: CASC MARR MCAP PREL RP MASS SUBJECT: STANDOFF WITH FORMER COUP PLOTTERS ENDS PEACEFULLY REF: MANILA 3797 Classified By: Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Approximately three hours after a Philippine government deadline to surrender, Senator Antonio Trillanes, a former military officer, along with coup plotter Brigadier General Danilo Lim and other supporters, turned themselves over to Philippine authorities at the Manila Peninsula hotel, where they had taken over the second floor. Throughout the standoff, the Ambassador was in close contact with top Philippine civilian and military leaders, who emphasized the desire to end the incident quickly and peacefully. All U.S. citizens are safe and accounted for and have been relocated to nearby hotels. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) At approximately 6:15 p.m., three hours after Philippine National Police General Barias was rebuffed in his attempt to serve an arrest warrant to Senator Trillanes (reftel),the accused coup plotters who had walked out of the courthouse in Makati and taken over the second floor of the Peninsula hotel surrendered to Philippine authorities. The Philippine National Police, supported by the Philippine Marines, entered the hotel at approximately 5:10 p.m., using a police armored vehicle to breach the door. Tear gas was deployed and within minutes, media reports showed disarray among Trillanes and his group. No shots were fired during the assault and after briefly talking to the press, Trillanes announced that he and the others would surrender to authorities as soon as the building was clear of tear gas. ¶3. (C) Throughout the afternoon, up until the incident was resolved, the Ambassador and Embassy staff were in close contact with civilian and military authorities. In phone conversations with the President, the Secretary of National Defense, the Armed Forces Chief of Staff, and the Director of the Philippine National Police, the Ambassador emphasized U.S. support for a legal and peaceful resolution to the crisis, and was reassured by the Philippine leadership that this was their goal. Philippine police and military forces acted with restraint and professionalism, effecting a coordinated response that left no casualties. We expect little follow-up action from Philippine officials over the weekend, as Friday, November 30 is a major national holiday in the Philippines. ¶4. (C) The Embassy confirmed that all U.S. citizens registered at the Peninsula Hotel were safe and accounted for and have been relocated to nearby Manila hotels. The Embassy will continue monitoring the situation and report on the facts surrounding the incident next week, when the Philippine government resumes office hours. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/ KENNEY