Philippines imposes curfew, arrests journalists

Watch video clips of the event on Philippine Daily Inquirer online

Police also arrested more than 40 journalists and media crew, both foreign and local, after the standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in the financial city of Makati.

 Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno announced the curfew shortly after police arrested the dissident soldiers and their civilian supporters who took over the hotel.

 He said the curfew would be in effect from 12 midnight to 5 am in Manila and surrounding provinces.

 "We have checkpoints maintained in the critical parts of metro Manila and the surrounding areas for the immediately foreseeable future and we are hoping that this curfew can be limited to just one day," he said.

 Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said all persons out in the streets during the curfew period would have to explain why they were violating the order.

 "Anybody in the road without legitimate reason will be investigated," he said.

 Puno also justified the detention of journalists and media crew who refused to leave the Manila Peninsula before government troops stormed the hotel to end the standoff.

 Some of the journalists were restrained using plastic handcuffs before they were taken by bus to a police camp in Manila for processing.

 "When there is a military operation and they are between the troops and the people we are after, they are obstructing justice," Puno said, when asked about the arrest of the journalists.

 "We know that was not their intention in most cases," he added. "We will be very reasonable in the treatment of their cases."//dpa