The rogue Phillippine soldiers that had briefly captured the center of Manila have now stood down and agreed to face charges. The soldiers were protesting what they felt was widespread corruption in the government and stated that they did not desire to use violence against anyone. The soldiers were not connected with radical Islamist groups.
"They said their concerns had not been heard through normal channels…and their charges (of corruption in the army and politics) do have a resonance with society, which has become cynical during the past three decades."
Indeed, corruption is endemic in Southeast Asian states, even ones as successful as the Phillippines. If the result of this standoff is increased government responsibility and accountability, the standoff will have produced a positive result in the end.
Shame they didn’t take over.. it would have been a great chance for us to set up another puppet despot like we did with Marcos. Southeast Asia is turning to democracy and its democracies now have the means the resist military inspired facism. What is our government going to do? The marionette strings have come undone.