More B S from the PhilippinesBishops to march against Arroyo's ‘immoral rule’
First posted 04:58am (Mla time) Oct 14, 2005
By Christian V. Esguerra
Inquirer News Service
VOWING to fight any emergency measures President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may be contemplating to maintain her “illegitimate and immoral hold on power,” three Roman Catholic bishops plan to lead hundreds of protesters on Friday afternoon in a march that will take them as close to Malacañang Palace as possible.
Bishops Deogracias Iñiguez, Antonio Tobias, and Julio Xavier Labayen said they expect between 3,000 and 5,000 members and sympathizers of the Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya (KME, Movement for a Nationalist Economy) to take part in the protest. The group, which has been calling for the ouster of Ms Arroyo counts on members from the clergy and business sector.
The rally is expected to gather some political figures opposed to the Arroyo administration such as former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former Senator Wigberto Tañada, former Pangasinan governor and now TV host Oscar Orbos, lawyer Lorna Kapunan, and Senator Jamby Madrigal.
The bishops suspect that the President is laying the groundwork for her exercise of extraordinary powers and said at a news conference yesterday that they were holding the march to protest the “eventual declaration” of emergency rule.
They said the administration was using the controversial Executive Orders 464 and 467 along with the “calibrated preemptive response” policy to condition the public into accepting emergency rule.
“Its ultimate objective is to retain its illegitimate and immoral hold on power,” said Labayen, reading from a KME statement.
Protesters will gather at Plaza Miranda in Manila’s Quiapo district at 2 p.m. before marching to the churches of St. Jude, San Beda College, and San Sebastian College near Malacañang. St. Jude is right beside the palace.
Organizers said they applied for a rally permit in the office of Manila Mayor Lito Atienza but got no response, which he said was tantamount to obtaining a permit under a Marcos-era law.
Iñiguez said the Plaza Miranda gathering did not require a permit because it was a “freedom park.”
Asked what they would do if the march were to be blocked by police, he replied: “Let them do their job and we will exercise our rights, too.”
“Let’s see what will happen tomorrow,” said Metro Manila police Director Vidal Querol when asked how police would handle the protest.
Labayen said Friday’s protest was also supported by fellow bishops Leo Drona of San Pablo City, Vicente Navarra of Bacolod City and Jose Manguiran of Dipolog City.
The KME statement said the bishops and other members of the group were outraged by Ms Arroyo’s recent directives, which exhibited a “terminal drift to authoritarianism.” With a report from Luige A. del Puerto