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Unfortunately, the good feelings generated by Aquino's unorthodox crisis management did not have time to take hold. At 3 the next morning, the coup attempt began. Some 500 rebellious soldiers divided up and attempted to take over four military installations and two broadcasting complexes. They were immediately confronted by loyal government troops. The largest clash took place at Villamor Air Base, where one rebel soldier was killed and seven were injured before 52 rebels surrendered. By 10 a.m. it was all over, save for the rebels camped in the building that houses the private Channel 7 television station and DZBB radio.
Ramos quickly labeled the troublemakers Marcos loyalists. Despite rebel banners that read MARCOS, MARCOS STILL and CORY AQUINO, WE HATE YOU, GO TO HELL, STEP DOWN, Colonel Canlas insisted that he and his fellow mutineers were loyal to neither Marcos nor Aquino. "We are fighting Communism," he stated.
Government representatives and rebels negotiated through the night. The only break came when the rebels decided to release 37 station employees who had been trapped inside the building when the siege began. When an early- morning meeting between Ramos and Canlas produced no surrender, both sides prepared for a day of psychological warfare. Government troops shouted to their mutineering buddies to surrender and set up loudspeakers to blare suitable rock music. High on the psych-war hit parade: Paul Anka's I'm Just a Lonely Boy.
That night, the fun and games came to a halt. At 10 p.m. Canlas and his cohort were warned that they had 30 minutes to surrender. When 10:30 came and went, government troops lobbed four tear-gas bombs into the building. Using the DZBB radio facilities, Canlas appealed to Ramos to halt the attack. The rebels were given another 30 minutes to evacuate before the next tear-gas attack would begin. But during that half-hour, Colonel Gregorio Honasan led a group of young military officers in an appeal to halt the use of force against the rebels. Honasan, who is closely associated with Enrile, also asked for leniency in the treatment of the wayward soldiers.
Honasan's group prevailed. The attacks stopped, and after three hours of negotiations an agreement was announced. When the rebels eventually left their high-walled hideout Thursday afternoon, Canlas led them in a round of "three cheers for democracy," and they waved at the government troops, who waved back.
The good-natured finale concealed serious divisions within the military. Aquino faces a deeply fractious army, with some troops loyal to Marcos and some to Enrile. Most, however, still follow Ramos and, by extension, presumably swear allegiance to the President. Although Aquino refers to government troops as "my soldiers," many of those outside the Channel 7 complex last week felt little loyalty to the President. "I'm glad this is happening," said one soldier. "This administration has really taken us for granted." Said an officer: "Even if there's an order to shoot, I won't. I can't in conscience kill my fellow soldiers."