Re: church outraged by dispersal of nuns, bishops, senior politicos



Palace: No looming war vs Church


The Palace on Monday said it will continue to enforce the calibrated
preemptive response by policing demonstrators even as it denied that it
is gearing up for a fight against the Catholic Church following the
dispersal of a prayer rally near the presidential palace last Friday.

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the Palace will continue to
uphold the rule of the law even as it noted the apolitical stand of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

"There is no such thing as a looming fight between the Palace and the
church...Some bishops who have been known to be detractors of the
president are trying to bring the church into the fray, and some
politicians driven by raw ambitions are doing the same thing," Bunye
said in a statement.

He added: "We call upon the people not to join the so-called religious
processions instigated for political ends by those thirsting for
earthly powers. Don't be used by these pretenders and hypocrites."

He said the police will continue to be guided by standard operating
procedures to protect the public interest. "Kailangan lamang pong
ipatupad 'yung batas at bigyan po ng proteksyon 'yun pong higit na
nakakarami sa ating mga kababayan.(We must enforce the law and protect
the interest of the general public," Bunye told DZMM.

The Arroyo administration has drawn flak for its calibrated preemptive
response policy, especially after police used a water cannon to
disperse protesters, including priests, in Plaza Miranda Friday.

Among those hosed down by the police were former vice-president
Teofisto Guingona, Sen. Jamby Madrigal, Bayan Muna party-list Rep.
Satur Ocampo, former executive secretary Oscar Orbos and Fr. Robert
Reyes.

Archbishop Antonio Lagdameo of Jaro, Iloilo, incoming president of the
Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), denounced what
he said was the "uncalled for and objectionable" dispersal of the
rally.

Lawyer Oscar Orbos said he and other rally leaders would file
complaints with the United Nations, a local human-rights commission and
a court saying the government violated the protesters’ constitutional
right to free assembly.

"Can you imagine? Can we attack Malacañan? My God, Bishop Oscar Labayen
is 82 years old," Orbos said in a radio interview, referring to a
Catholic religious leader who joined the protest.

Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio in a text message on
Sunday said President Arroyo was not happy about what happened on
Friday but insisted that it would be most unfair to blame the
government and the police for it.

"The Friday incident could have been easily avoided. There are known
and explicit rules to be observed by demonstrators even as their right
to free expression and redress of grievances continues to be guaranteed
and protected by the government," Claudio said.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita played down the observations that
the police ignored the fact that Guingona was a former vice-president
in dousing him and the other protesters.

Claudio said radical elements must not exploit the incident to further
challenge, provoke or taunt law enforcers.

Another, bigger rally has been scheduled for October 21.

Several senators called for the abolition of the calibrated preemptive
response (CPR), the police strategy for handling street protests being
enforced by the police saying its continued implementation would
provoke more rallies that might lead to more violent dispersals.

Bunye said the Palace recognizes demonstrators' rights to freedom of
expression "but we should also respect the rights of the people to
study, work and travel without disturbance."

He called on local governments to designate freedom parks where
protesters can hold demonstrations without having to secure rally
permits. He also called on protesters to avoid holding rallies in
Mendiola, which is near the presidential palace in Manila.

Bunye said Manila Mayor Lito Atienza does not want to give permits to
protesters to hold rallies in the area because these could disrupt
traffic and movement of students and workers there.

Historic Don Chino Roces Bridge, formerly Mendiola, wis the usual site
of protests and demonstrations, including the so-called Mendiola
Massacre, which killed 13 peasant protesters on January 22, 1987.

.

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