Rebuilding of Peninsula Manila starts

Despite the negative publicity and damage caused by last Thursday’s siege, the Peninsula Manila is not about to let a handful of “misguided” soldiers cancel its pre-Christmas  concert next week.

Just as its famous Grand Fountain at the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues still flows majestically, hotel officials said it will reopen its doors to guests who will soon enjoy staying at a now historical place where Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and members of the Magdalo Group tried to bring down the Arroyo government.

Peninsula Manila public relations manager Joseph Arias told The STAR that they are now in the process of rebuilding a first class business hotel in the heart of the country’s financial district.

 “We will still have our traditional pre-Christmas Concert at the Pen on Dec. 8,” he said, assuring that everything will be back to normal within the next few  days.

“The Peninsula has been around for 31 years. This is just a little hiccup along the way,” added Peninsula Manila spokesman Mariano Garchitorena.

The pre-Christmas concert will feature the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of guest conductor Maestro Ruggero Barbieri, as well as The Company and the UP Concert Chorus.

Arias said last Thursday’s incident was a very traumatic experience for them and they remain in shock up to now.

 “Our first concern is the safety of the hotel and the safety of human life,” Arias said.

He confirmed that the hotel was 80 percent occupied when Trillanes, Brig. General Danilo Lim, several Magdalo soldiers, and their supporters took control of the building last Thursday morning.

Despite what happened, he said there are no plans of renaming or reinventing the Rizal function room  which Trillanes and his group used as their base inside the hotel.

Arias said they expect the international business community not to react negatively to the incident because “they know that Filipinos are peaceful people.”

“We were victims here. I don’t think the world will see it (in a negative) way. They won’t say don’t go to that hotel,” he said.

Yesterday, foreign businessmen who had to leave the premises in a hurry during the incident started coming back to claim their belongings.

They are now billeted at other Makati hotels where they were transferred at the height of the siege. 

Peninsula Manila officials are keeping mum on who will be asked to pay for the damages, noting that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will also have to investigate the matter.

Hotel officials decided to temporarily close the hotel after the siege because of damage caused by the police assault that resulted in the surrender of the rebel soldiers.

An Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) rammed into the lobby through the front entrance so that police could get in and re-arrest Trillanes, Lim, and some 50 other soldiers and civilian supporters who occupied the hotel shortly after Trillanes and Lim walked out of a hearing at the Makati City Regional Trial Court.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the AFP is willing to foot the bill for whatever destruction the combined military and police  assault caused on the hotel.

“I think it’s a very small price to pay for us to live in a democracy. Even if we pay for the damages,” Esperon said. “We are willing to shoulder the damages. What is important is we were able to quell them  (Trillanes and Lim) in their planned junta.”

Peaceful means were initially taken to resolve the conflict. National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Geary Barias tried to convince Trillanes to surrender, but Barias ended up being thrown out of the hotel, prompting the military and police leadership to decide to launch a combined  assault.

“We went for a quick decision. And I think that was the only way,” Esperon said.

Meantime, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol said that the management of the Peninsula Manila is free to sue Trillanes and his accomplices for the damages.

He argued that all of the damage incurred by the hotel was caused by Trillanes and company.

“Because this is caused by Trillanes going inside the hotel and refusing to answer (the warrant of arrest issued by the court). He is the one at fault,” Apostol said.

He said that even the hotel guests can sue Trillanes for damages because their activities at the hotel were disrupted by the incident.

Even a scheduled wedding reception at the hotel was cancelled because of the incident.

“It is up to them. What they should do is they should file a civil case for damages against Trillanes and his accomplices,” Apostol said.

On top of the damages, he said that Trillanes and his companions should also pay for the use of the function room as well as other charges incurred during their stay at the hotel.

Esperon, for his part, said: “If only Trillanes can be put in solitary confinement. He’s had so many offenses,” adding that it is up to the military lawyers to file the additional appropriate charges against Trillanes and Lim, on top of the current  military and civilian cases that they are facing in connection with the 2003 and 2006 failed mutinies, respectively. – With Jaime Laude, Marvin Sy