he quiet of what was so far an uneventful Thursday morning was shattered when the accused Magdalo soldiers walked out of their court martial proceedings and headed towards the Manila Peninsula Hotel several blocks away in Ayala Avenue, Makati.

Headed by Brig. General Danilo Lim and Senator Antonio Trillanes, the Magdalo group wasted no time in issuing a statement regarding their actions. Gen Lim lead a statement calling for the Armed Forces of the Philippines to rally behind them and overthrow what he called the "illegitimate" Arroyo administration and re-install Joseph Estrada as President.

Initially, it was thought that the military police escort that were in support of the rebels who walked out as they followed the Magdalo group out the courthouse. It later turned out that the Military escort were simply ordered to shadow the group and and monitor their actions.

Surprisingly, Filipinos in Metro Manila seems to have become jaded with all the coups and mutinies over the years. For many in the metropolis, this is nothing more than a martial side-show akin to a military parade: interesting while it is passing-by, but quickly forgotten after it is gone. The Makati stock exchange dropped for a while but even ended up before lunch.

The rebels are about to issue a press conference from the hotel's third floor. Most Filipinos here and abroad are just shaking their head and hope these military adventurists just go away, or better yet remain locked-up for good.