Re: is this the start of something bigger?

On Feb 20, 9:17 am, "joeke...@xxxxxxxxx" <joeke...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Feb 19, 5:13 am, Cheeze <csmarasi...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:





On Feb 19, 8:50 am, money is not  your god

<socculturefilip...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Feb 18, 2:52�pm, "joeke...@xxxxxxxxx" <joeke...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Feb 17, 8:40�pm, Cheeze <csmarasi...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Feb 16, 9:08�am, "whats abalos hold over the arroyos to get soo

much influence?" <bisayangig...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
MANILA, Philippines -- In the loudest display yet of public outrage
over the controversial $329-million broadband deal, thousands of
protesters Friday demanded the resignation of President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo.

Spurred by the expos�s of Senate whistle-blower Rodolfo Noel Lozada
Jr., the rally brought together people of clashing ideologies, from
opposition politicians and leftwing militants to office workers and
robed seminarians.

Some 10,000 demonstrators, by police estimates and wire agencies AP
and Reuters, took part in the protest, waving banners, singing songs,
praying and chanting slogans.

Lozada wasn't around. But businessman Joey de Venecia, who first
disclosed the alleged bribe offers in the negotiations for the
National Broadband Network (NBN) project with China's ZTE Corp., was
among the rally speakers, and he didn't hold his punches in lambasting
Malaca�ang.

"You, thieves, get out of Malaca�ang!" De Venecia said to cheers.

The young De Venecia also alleged GMA, FG [First Gentleman], Abalos
and the Malaca�ang cabal would have gotten P10-billion kickbacks from
ZTE had the project not been scrapped.

"It's in the dark shadows of government offices that conspiracies
defraud us ... We should fight this with our lives," said the son of
ousted Speaker Jose de Venecia.

"The forces of evil in Malaca�ang are strong but we, the people, are
stronger than anybody in Malaca�ang," he also said.
At times tripping over his words, De Venecia later said it was his
first time to speak in a public rally.

He started his speech by saying: "I'm no politician."

He said he was happy to be at the rally to "show support for the
resignation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo."

At one point, to the delight of the crowd, he shouted: "Back off,
First Gentleman."

'Lozada is the truth'

De Venecia was alluding to a purported attempt by Ms Arroyo's husband,
Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, to bamboozle him into withdrawing his
proposal for the NBN contract.

De Venecia spoke of the supposed incident with Mike Arroyo when he
testified last year at the Senate on the now-scrapped project
involving China's ZTE Corp. He and Lozada also linked former
Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. to alleged offers of
bribe.

Lozada, a former government consultant, also implicated Malaca�ang
officials in his alleged abduction by armed men at the Ninoy Aquino
International Airport to prevent him from appearing at the Senate.

The protesters converged at the Ninoy Aquino monument, where they
expressed their indignation over the most serious scandal to buffet
the Arroyo administration since the "Hello Garci" controversy of 2005.

Lozada's name repeatedly came up in the rally.

"Jun Lozada is the truth," activist priest Robert Reyes told the
crowd, drawing cheers. "Where does true strength lie? Who is truly
strong--Malaca�ang or Jun Lozada?" The crowd roared back Lozada's
name.

Rally theme

The rally had one theme: The people have had enough.

"People, act now and we'll join you. That's our duty as members of the
clergy: To be with the people as they walk toward a better future,"
Fr. Joe Dizon of Solidarity Philippines said.

Similar protest rallies were also held in Mindanao, including in the
cities of Davao, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos, as well as in the
Visayas, including Bacolod and Cebu cities.

In Makati City, confetti rained down on Paseo de Roxas from the
Philippine Stock Exchange Tower and another building. Office employees
watched from windows.

Some of the placards and banners read: Lozada, di ka nag-iisa (You're
not alone).

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said he hoped Friday's rally
would sow the seeds of bigger protests "in the tradition of people
power."

Students also came by the busloads.

At least 650 riot policemen were deployed at the corner of Ayala and
Paseo de Roxas Avenues to keep the peace.

Feeling 1986

"This reminds me of 1986, before Edsa," Guingona told the Inquirer,
alluding to the "People Power" revolt that toppled Ferdinand Marcos.

"The feeling was just like this--of tension, of excitement, of the
feeling that something is going to happen."

Maceda expressed the hope that the protests would eventually convince
Ms Arroyo to step down and resign.

Even the lame

A man wheeling himself on a makeshift wooden skateboard led the Bagong
Alyansang Makabayan contingent marching along Ayala Avenue, unmindful
of his lame legs.

Roel Balao, 40 and a resident of Valenzuela City, said he was a
regular at protest rallies since Edsa 1. He wheeled himself by pushing
himself forward, way ahead of the marchers.

"I can no longer stomach what Gloria is doing," he said in Filipino.
"Even if I am lame, I join protests."

Antonio Lachica hobbled on one foot and supported himself with a pair
of crutches.

GMA shirts

Office workers at the Central Business District showed their approval
of the rally by showering the rallyists with white confetti from
buildings.

Makati City Hall employees sold T-shirts with a cartoon of Ms Arroyo
lying on bags of money, with the slogan: "Moderate the greed,
exterminate the breed."

Students from the University of the Philippines, the Polytechnic
University of the Philippines, the University of the East and the
Lyceum of the Philippines also came.
Lawyer Harry Roque sang a message to the tune of the Queen's "We Will
Rock You," except that he sang: "We will oust you!"

They were there, too

A list furnished the Inquirer indicated the groups that sent
representatives (and had their names announced onstage), among them :

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the Makati Business Club,
Philippine Airlines Employees Association, August 21 Movement, La Liga
Policy Institute, Maryhill School of Theology, Inter-Congregational
theological Center, Ecumenical Bishops Forum, and St. Andrews
Theological Seminary.

With a report from Christine O. Avenda�o

I think what's significant about that report is the fact that it was
so insignificant. �That rally was very brief. �And 10,000 bodies were
all they could muster. �I think people have learned their lesson that
people power doesn't solve a thing.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

yeah these rallies are becoming mundane and as you stated aren't
changing anything- they just manipulate the masses...- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

we shall see too early to say- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I don't think so.  Its actually very late already.  Arroyo survived
bigger rallies in the past.  The trend seems to be going in the
opposite direction.  Unless Arroyo commits a mistake as collosal as
Marcos did (which was allow Ninoy to be killed - ... notice I didn't
actually say he killed him), people power will not oust her.

CSM- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

the real question then is... what happens after she leaves office
(assuming she doesn't manage to change the system)- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Well after she leaves, the obvious successor (whether by succession or
by election) would be Noli. The guy is just plain popular.

I for one, don't really see how change can happen by simply changing
the head of state. Nothing short of high profile court convictions
can minimize corruption. I'm in favor of criminal charges against the
Arroyos. A court of law would be more credible that people power all
the time. There will be closure, and the evidence would be examined
and people would have some basis and some moral certainty if they pay
close attention to the proceedings.

Neri was right. The truth is deeper than most people think. But in
general people know, that no one is clean in politics. And it is
simply a waste of time and effort to use people power to solve our
problems.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: is this the start of something bigger?
    ... De Venecia said to cheers. ... De Venecia spoke of the supposed incident with Mike Arroyo when he ... Similar protest rallies were also held in Mindanao, ... Students from the University of the Philippines, ...
    (soc.culture.filipino)
  • Re: is this the start of something bigger?
    ... protesters Friday demanded the resignation of President Gloria ... the Arroyo administration since the "Hello Garci" controversy of 2005. ... Joe Dizon of Solidarity Philippines said. ... regular at protest rallies since Edsa 1. ...
    (soc.culture.filipino)
  • Re: is this the start of something bigger?
    ... the Arroyo administration since the "Hello Garci" controversy of 2005. ... Joe Dizon of Solidarity Philippines said. ... alluding to the "People Power" revolt that toppled Ferdinand Marcos. ... regular at protest rallies since Edsa 1. ...
    (soc.culture.filipino)
  • Re: is this the start of something bigger?
    ... protesters Friday demanded the resignation of President Gloria ... the Arroyo administration since the "Hello Garci" controversy of 2005. ... Joe Dizon of Solidarity Philippines said. ... regular at protest rallies since Edsa 1. ...
    (soc.culture.filipino)
  • Re: is this the start of something bigger?
    ... protesters Friday demanded the resignation of President Gloria ... the Arroyo administration since the "Hello Garci" controversy of 2005. ... Joe Dizon of Solidarity Philippines said. ... regular at protest rallies since Edsa 1. ...
    (soc.culture.filipino)