I take Mike Defensor's warning very seriously

Any weakness on the part of the government in responding to such tests of resolve could only encourage further violent challenges. In these extraordinary times of political turmoil, the primordial duty of the government is to defend the state and maintain public order. It cannot be squeamish over its methods of response. The message is clear: Some heads will be bashed and some will be killed if they mount violent action to express grievances outside of the legal process.

-- Ambassador Amando Doronila Nov. 13, 2003, after the violent dispersal of a demonstration in Makati protesting the hometown decision of Arroyo's Supreme Court

"You know, against the advice of my legal counsel, I followed your recommendation to admit and apologize. Now I’m getting all the flak and I’m constrained to use muscle.

-- Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

And today from the Malaya:

INCOMING presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor yesterday warned that any attempt to oust President Arroyo would turn violent, bloody and more damaging to the country.

Defensor said the four Oakwood mutineers who escaped from detention in Fort Bonifacio Tuesday night probably did not understand the meaning of resorting to a "revolution." He said they should think twice before asking the people to join them or any group out to overthrow the government.

Army Capt. Nathaniel Rabonza, and 1Lts. Lawrence San Juan, Sonny Sarmiento and Patricio Bumidang on Thursday vowed to topple what they said was the illegitimate administration of President Arroyo. They said they now make up a "new" Armed Forces that is growing stronger everyday.

Defensor said an uprising would not lead to a peaceful withdrawal of military support from the president as what happened in 1986 during Edsa 1 and 2001 during Edsa 2.

Any administration that is capable of dispersing any peaceful anti-administration rallies with excessive violence (Calibrated Pre-emptive Response) is capable of bloodshed.

This coming from a guy (Mike Defensor) who was directly part of ARroyo's attempts to silence a witness by kidnapping.

If Defensor is capable of that, he is CAPABLE OF ANYTHING.

Ito ang post ko noong Oct. 14, 2005:

And IIRC, mas malaki ang size ng Edsa Tres crowd kaysa Edsa Dos, and the potential for another Edsa is always there. No wonder medyo insecure ang admin na ito, that they have to resort to "Calibrated Preemptive Response" (with emphasis on "Pre-emptive") to nip any potential uprising in the bud.

Having said that though, I fear na magiging madugo ang susunod na "Edsa." More Tiananmen (China) and less "Orange Revolution" (Ukraine). It's Arroyo's military loyalists and the remaining few pro-GMA members of Civil Society vs. the People. And the longer she stays in power, the worse it will become for our country.

I believe this admin is capable of Tiananmen...

UPDATE: I kid you not when I say na napaka-ruthless at ambisyoso ng mga nakapaligid kay Arroyo. Take Mike Arroyo, for example. Here are some of my favorite quotes from an old interview he did about Edsa Dos that he'd rather us forget:

"Our group there was a back-up strike force. In fact, it was our group that won over to our side the PNP first. If Panfilo Lacson had resisted, he and his men would have been repelled: there would have been bloodshed, but not on EDSA. In every place where Erap loyalists had a force, we had a counter-force to face it, with orders to shoot. And not only in Metro Manila. Carillo had already been sent to the provinces; and in Nueva Ecija, for instance, we had Rabosa. This was a fight to the finish. That's why those five days that Erap was demanding were so important. He was counting on counter-coups and baliktaran.

and this...

"I was negotiating with Pardo up to three o'clock in the morning: niloloko lang pala kami. But I told him point-blank: "If by six o'clock this morning you haven't given us the resignation letter, we will storm the gates of Malacañang!'

and this...

"There was a time honestly, when I felt I erred in advising her to resign from the Cabinet. The masa in Manila apparently wanted her to stick it out with Erap. And when she started attacking him, everything fell on us - grabe!- everything! But I told myself: it's now or never; if we lose here we're totally destroyed and it's goodbye to her political career - but if we win here, she becomes President! So we really fought.

And this...

"And when EDSA happened, we texted everybody to go running there. EDSA, EDSA: everybody converge on EDSA! Panalo kung panalo. Patay kung patay! Jinggoy had already announced what they would do to us if they won."

HAHAHAHAHA...

"Chavit Singson had Plan B involving elements of the military to strike the first blow. They would kindle the spark by withdrawing from the government, and one by one others would follow: Class '71 would also withdraw, then Class '72, and so forth. But General de Villa warned that the timing had to be precise because one untimely move against the government and the military would automatically defend it. The move must be made at what De Villa called a 'defining moment.'

"You see, General De Villa had his Plan A, which was better than ours, because his was focused on the Chief of Staff and the Service Commanders. At past one o'clock p.m. January 20, Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes defected but we knew that already the night before, when negotiations had lasted until the small hours. By past 2 a.m. we knew Reyes had been convinced to join. His only condition was: Show us a million people on EDSA so it will b easier to bring in the service commanders.

and finally, this...

"But the threat to march to Malacañang was for real. And so was the danger of bloodshed. I wasn't telling Gloria everything: I didn't want her alarmed. So she didn't know about the orders to shoot."

Tarantado ka talaga, Mike.