Solidarity Movement, a broad alliance of forces moving for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and for the formation of a Transition Council occupied the historic People Power monument Sept. 7 to signal a series of protests after the impeachment process was buried in Congress the day before.

By Dabet Castañeda
Bulatlat

Various forces and sectors took no time in mourning the death of the impeachment case against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Instead, they have joined together to use anew the parliament of the streets to remove the president from Malacañang.

The formation of Solidarity Movement, a broad alliance of anti-GMA forces, was announced to the public Sept. 7 as it led about 5,000 protesters to the People Power Monument on Edsa. (Other estimates put the figure at 10,000.) The rally was also co-organized by the Bukluran para sa Katotohanan.

Some of them rain-soaked after a heavy downpour at the start of the protest, representatives of the organizations spearheading the alliance were presented to the crowd. They included former Defense Secretary Renato de Villa of Reporma Party, Satur Ocampo representing the multi-sectoral group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and Bayan Muna Party, Horacio “Boy” Morales of Partido ng Masang Pilipino, Loiue Sison of Bangon Pilipinas and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay of the United Opposition (UNO).

They said the new broad alliance is united behind the ouster of Macapagal-Arroyo and the formation of a Transition Council immediately after the president is removed from office. Representatives of groups forming Solidarity Movement will elect members of the caretaker government.

Congress on the streets

Equally soaked in the rain were House representatives who spearheaded the impeachment case in Congress. Aside from Ocampo, progressive party-list representatives Teddy Casiño and Joel Virador of Bayan Muna, Rafael Mariano and Crispin Beltran of Anakpawis and Liza Maza of Gabriela Women’s Party were among the earliest to join the protesters.

“The allegations of cheating, lying and stealing manifested in the amended impeachment complaint are now made worse with suspicions of pay-offs in Congress to ensure the death of the impeachment,” said Maza.

The lady legislator said the maneuverings that sought to hide the truth and protect Macapagal-Arroyo unmasked a government that refuses to be accountable to the people.

Other pro-impeachment congressmen joined the Edsa protest to dramatize their dismay over the death of the impeachment. Minority Floor Leader and UNO secretary general Chiz Escudero (first district, Sorsogon), Rep. Ronnie Zamora (lone district, San Juan) and Rep. Allan Peter Cayetano (lone district, Taguig-Pateros) came at around 5 p.m. just as the rain was about to fall.

Wearing a white raincoat and sitting atop the sound system, Escudero was interviewed by reporters as he waited for his turn to address the crowd. “Nakikilahok kami para ipahayag ang aming galit at para maibsan ang sikip ng aming dibdib” (We’re joining the rally to express our disgust and ease our outrage), he said.

The young opposition leader said he was leaving the protest to attend to other invitations but will come back if the crowd would keep vigil. “Kapag nandito pa sila babalik ako. Palagi kaming kaisa ng mamamayan kaugnay ng pagsusuka sa desisyon ng Kongreso at hindi namin sila iiwanan sa ganitong uri ng pakikibaka” (We’ll be back if the protesters stay. We’re always one with the people in condemning [the junking of the impeachment complaint] and we will not give them [administration] peace in this struggle), he said.

Cayetano, the spokesperson of the pro-impeachment team in Congress, also vowed to join peaceful protest actions “na walang alisan” (till the end).

“Gusto sana namin ay sa ligal na proseso dumaan pero sinarhan na ito ng gobyerno” (We tried the legal process but the doors were shut by government), he said.

But he was quick to add that the parliament of the streets was not in any way unconstitutional. “Sumusunod lamang kami sa kalooban ng mamamayan” (We’re just following the people’s wish), he said.

Supreme Court

Zamora, while saying that the protest actions are a legitimate right of the people in their quest for truth, also said that he and some of the lawyers from the impeachment prosecution team will file a petition to reopen the case before the Supreme Court (SC) on Sept. 8.

“We want the SC to review the action of the House Committee on Justice,” he said. “We are not doing this because we think we have a good chance to win or not but certain issues have to be resolved.” 

Anti-Arroyo protesters are expected to go back to the streets on Sept. 12 and 13 for a transport strike while the Solidarity Movement will again lead a mobilization on Sept. 21, the 23^rd anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law. Bulatlat 

© 2004 Bulatlat ■  Alipato Publications

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