Palace asks reporters to get out of The Pen

Malacañang on Thursday appealed to members of media covering the standoff to get out of the Manila Peninsula and remained behind the police yellow outside the hotel. Sen. Antonio Trillanes and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim along with several military officers defied a deadline to surrender after storming out of their coup trial Thursday, taking over the hotel and demanding that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo resign. Shots were heard about 75 minutes after the deadline passed. SWAT teams and troops used an armored personnel carrier as cover to move into position for a possible assault. At least one dissident soldier, distinguishable by a red armband, crouched inside the hotel lobby, his finger near the trigger of an M-16 rifle. Many journalists refused a request from the Palace that they leave. - GMANews.TV