Rebellious soldiers stormed a major commercial center in Manila's financial district early Sunday, hours after the Philippine president ordered the arrest of mutinous officers believed to be plotting a coup.
With demands that the government resign, troops in camouflage uniforms set up gun posts and rigged explosives at 3 a.m. around the outside of the Glorietta complex, which includes one of the capital's largest shopping malls.
The military responded by sending a group of marines close to the area. Television footage later showed them shaking hands with some of the rogue officers, raising questions about what government forces would do if ordered to mount an assault.
By midmorning, more than six hours after the takeover began, there had been no reports of violence.
The center seizure began hours after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered a group of junior military officers arrested for mutiny after they deserted with their weapons.
Arroyo met with top advisers Sunday at the heavily guarded presidential palace, Defense Minister Angelo Reyes said.
"This is a situation we have to resolve as soon as possible because it will affect the economy, the stock market and everything," Reyes said.
In a statement, the mutinous officers demanded the government resign and said they were prepared to die to force change.
"We are not attempting to grab power. We are just trying to express our grievances," navy Lt. Sr. Grade Antonio Trillanes told reporters on the scene.
He said that the explosives were for self-defense. "If they try to take us down, we will be forced to use it," said Trillanes, who is among the officers Arroyo ordered arrested.
Trillanes claimed to have the support of 2,000 officers and soldiers. Radio reports said about 100 men were involved. They were armed with rifle s and wore red arm bands with a symbol of sun rays. A warning shot was fired as a delivery truck approached.
Unlike the two "people power" revolts that peacefully ousted two presidents in recent years, there appeared to be little public support for the mutiny. The military chief of staff declared loyalty to Arroyo.
Rumors of a coup plot have spread for the last week. Arroyo took action Saturday, publicly announcing that she had ordered the military and police to hunt down and "arrest a small band of rogue junior officers and soldiers who have deserted their post and illegally brought weapons with them."
The officers responded in a video released just before the takeover, accusing the government of selling arms and ammunition to Muslim and communist rebels, staging recent deadly bombings to justify more aid from the United States, and preparing to declare martial law to stay in power.
Checkpoints went up around Manila and armored personnel carriers at the gates of the presidential palace were reinforced with more vehicles and elite troops.
Australian Ambassador Ruth Pearce initially was prevented from leaving a ritzy apartment complex where a number of foreign diplomats live. But all residents were later evacuated, some left carrying children and luggage. Many appeared alarmed as they passed a rebel machine gun outside the building.
National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said he hoped for negotiations and a peaceful resolution.
"We have to be very prudent about this," he told reporters outside the palace. "This is similar to the 1989 coup attempt."
There were several coup attempts against former President Corazon Aquino in the late 1980s by officers complaining about corruption.
In a 1989 attempt, rebellious troops also occupied the commercial center. They held onto it for several days until they were persuaded to surrender.
In their statement, the rebellious officers called themselves "Soldiers of the Nation" and talked of disillusionment over corruption and favoritism. Soldiers and officers in the past have complained about low pay; the military is poorly equipped and trained, and hampered by budgetary constraints.
"We demand the resignation of our leaders in the present regime," the statement said. "We are willing to sacrifice our lives today, to pursue a program not tainted with politicking."
Interior Secretary Jose Lina ordered the arrest of Sen. Gregorio Honasan, citing an intelligence report reportedly linking the former army colonel to the mutiny. Honasan denied he had any "influence or control" over the mall takeover.
Military Chief of Staff Gen. Narciso Abaya said 10 of the wanted officers were from the army and navy -- including several captains, the highest rank, mostly from the special operations command.
Eight served in the fight against Muslim separatists in the country's troubled south, and most had been decorated for gallantry under fire.
Arroyo, a 56-year-old economist, has enjoyed generally solid public support and is one of the staunchest U.S. allies in Asia. The United States has been working closely with the 120,000-strong Philippine military, which has been battling Muslim separatists and communist rebels for the last three decades.
In May, President Bush held a state dinner at the White House for Arroyo, praised her "unwavering" partnership in the war on terrorism. He said he would visit the Philippines, perhaps this fall.
Earlier Saturday, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jaime Sin called on Filipinos to be vigilant, saying in an open letter that "credible sources" in the government and military believed that plotters were set on "undermining and if possible overturning even with violence the democratic institutions of our country."
As the leader of the Philippines' powerful Roman Catholic Church, Sin has extensive government and military contacts.
He played a key role in the "people power" revolt that toppled late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, and massive anti-corruption protests that forced out President Joseph Estrada in January 2001.