‘Arroyo has betrayed the Filipino people’
Bayan to Join Guingona, Copa at Edsa Mass

The mass on July 15 at the EDSA Shrine will be an opportunity to express support for the Vice President Teofisto Guingona and his stand against the increasing U.S. armed intervention in the Philippines. Organizations like Bayan and its affiliates that were instrumental in Arroyo’s presidency have already distanced themselves from Malacañang over what they called its betrayal to what EDSA 2 stood for.

By BULATLAT.COM

The secretary-general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said over the weekend that the alliance center and its allied organizations will join Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and the Council on Philippine Affairs (Copa) in a mass remembering People Power 2 at the Edsa Shrine on July 15.

"The Monday activity, although in the form of a mass, is full of political meaning,” Teddy Casiño said. “It is a political statement about how the people's sacrifices during Edsa II are being squandered by the GMA administration."

"It also shows the broad unity of forces whose loyalty is not to any administration but to the people's struggle for genuine social transformation through collective and militant struggle," the Bayan secretary general added. "We may not be carrying placards or shouting slogans on Monday, but our cry is loud and clear: the spirit of Edsa II is being betrayed, the fight is not yet over."

The Bayan leader added that the mass will be an opportunity to express support for the beleaguered vice-president, Teofisto Guingona, and his principled stand against the increasing U.S. armed intervention in the Philippines.

Guingona, a stalwart of the EDSA 2 people’s uprising that ousted disgraced President Joseph Estrada in January 2001, last week quit his post as foreign secretary. He resigned over the issue of the growing U.S. meddling in Philippine affairs particularly the entry of its special forces and military exercises.

"We may not necessarily agree with Copa's stand supporting the President, but we are one with them in asserting the aspirations of Edsa II,” Caiño continued. “Such differences are fine because they reflect the broad constituency of Edsa II."

Even the devil quotes the Scripture

In reaction to Arroyo's statement referring to herself as the "president of Edsa II and III," Casiño said that "the people are intelligent enough to differentiate between the fact and fiction, between truth and propaganda."

"Even the Devil quotes the Scripture," said Casiño, adding that "not even biblical verses could cover up the fact that Arroyo is substituting justice with a shocking compromise with the unapologetic henchmen of the ousted Estrada."

"The mere idea of recruiting the likes of Ople, the Puno brothers and Jimpol (Policarpio) smacks at crass political opportunism, a clear assault to the people's aspirations for the New Politics of social change, justice and principles," he said. "The people sought justice and good governance during Edsa Dos. Recruiting these shadowy characters who have kept their loyalties to the corrupt Estrada administration is simply a betrayal."

COPA leader, Pastor Saycon, also left the Arroyo administration as a government bank executive.

Critics said Arroyo, who became president after EDSA 2, has been preparing for the 2004 presidential elections. She has branded former allies as “termites” and asked them to quit but has, at the same time, appointed former cronies of the Marcos dictatorship and Estrada to key positions. Big organizations including Bayan and its affiliates that were instrumental in Arroyo’s presidency have since distanced themselves from Malacañang over what they called its betrayal to what EDSA 2 stood for. Bulatlat.com

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