I was really surprised last Friday that upon arriving at the hospital, a friend told me that a coup was starting (only to be told several minutes later that it was foiled by the government). I didn't see anything unusual around my neighborhood nor in EDSA but that explains why Erap was being ordered to go back to Tanay which I saw briefly on TV while I was going out of the door! I was excited and scared at the same time. Excited because I couldn't wait to find out if at the end of the day the country will have a new president and scared because I know the President will do everything to stay in power. Like most Filipinos that day, I was glued to the TV almost the whole day. When I heard that the President declared a state of national emergency, shivers went up my spine and I had goose bumps all over.

Just when the police were dispersing the group of rallyists in Santolan with water hoses and sticks (hitting the rallyists even when they were running away and on their knees already), I was actually driving along EDSA on my way home. I saw on TV how they arrested Prof. Randy David while he was trying to talk to them amicably. I also saw how the police hosed down the people at the EDSA Shrine and how they advanced on the rallyists in Makati, putting women on the frontline. And even when the rallyists were already walking home, the police still advanced on them with their shields and sticks. Today, the news is full of stories about several key people in the opposition who are openly critical of the government (some of them was even in the Makati rally yesterday) being arrested, the house of Sen. Gringo Honasan searched, media warned on airing things against the government, newspaper offices/printing presses visited by the police and other government agents (the Daily Tribune which is pro-opposition was "temporarily taken over" by the government) and arrests left and right of people who are being accused of inciting to rebellion. Hmmm.... sounds familiar? Kaya nga ba natatakot ako eh!

I am really in awe at the President's political advisers. They are one very intelligent group! They always have an answer to every thing. When asked what is the significance of this state of emergency and what powers are given to the President by this declaration, they wouldn't give straight answers and would very wisely evade the questions (basta, the President would be given special powers daw). I was also confused when one Cabinet member said they declaration was for economic reasons only. Huh??? Hindi ko yata gets.

They said that the declaration was because of the threat to the government, because the Magdalo group was aligning with the Communists already and are planning a coup. Who says this is true? Where is their proof? They are accusing this and that person of being with the Magdalo-Communist group but the person talking doesn't even have the balls to show his face on TV! Oo nga naman, baka nga naman balikan ang pamilya niya ng mga Magdalo at mga Komunista. Yeah right!

They said this military officer is one of the coup leaders but he belied this in an interview saying that he was inside the military camp all along, this was even attested by his commander. They said these group of military personnels were on their way to Manila to join the coup attempt but one opposition group was interviewed as saying that yes, they were on their way to Makati because they want to express their sentiments by joining the rally but not to participate in a coup attempt.

When asked for his reaction to Hongkong's warning to their citizens to "exercise caution when travelling to the Philippines", Cong. Mike Defensor said that this is because foreigners are afraid of the threat being posed by the coup plots against the government not because of the declaration of the state of emergency. If this is true then the Hongkong government should've issued this advisory earlier this week when they arrested Lt. San Juan earlier this week or even last year when news of these coup attempts first surfaced. I think the Hongkong government reacted to the declaration of national emergency because for me, that declaration is almost tantamount to saying that "yes, there is a coup attempt and I am afraid that if I do not declare a state of emergency, they will succeed".

Just my two cents worth: This declaration is a strategy as well as the news of the coup attempt and the alliance between the Magdalo and the Communists. The government wants the people to hate the Magdalo group because of the alliance so that if a the group will lead a coup attempt, the people will not support them (who would want to support nga naman the Communists?). The alleged threat to the government, i.e. the coup attempt gives the government a reason to declare a state of national emergency and in turn would put a stop to the rallies in Metro Manila because if the rallies will not be stopped, it can become Edsa 3 and the President will be ousted. Hindi nga ba't isang rally sa Edsa ang nagpaalis at nagpakulong kay Erap?