The marathon congressional hearings started June 21 and went on for three days. The first day was spent by the members of the House debating on “ground rules” which young opposition congresswoman Darlene Custodio said in an interview with Bulatlat, had been agreed upon before the hearings could even start.
“It is obvious that our colleagues who are pro-GMA are just trying to delay the hearings,” said the congressman. During the hearings, allies of the President would question the ground rules while the interpellations were ongoing.
Custodio admitted to getting irked by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye who took the witness stand June 21 and 22. “Parang scripted lahat ng sagot nya” (All his replies sounded like a script) she said referring to Bunye’s repeated answers during the interpellations.
The hearings have been set following a privilege speech by another young congressman, Minority Floor leader Francisco “Chiz” Escudero from Bicol.
Allies
“We are joining the cry of the nation,” said Digna Bonin, 49, an election volunteer for Poe who was wearing a white shirt printed with the famous Sanrio character Hello Kitty talking on the phone. The dialogue box had the words “Hello, Garci”. The print at the back of the shirt was a man who resembles Garcillano with the words “Hello, Ma’am.”
A businesswoman who is into food and medical equipment, Digna has been with the National Coordinating of Volunteers (NCCV) during the May 2004 campaign. Their group, led by character actor Rez Cortez, supported Poe in the presidential race.
“GMA is not a legitimate president so she should just step down. She is not supposed to be there in the first place,” she said.
Digna also proposes that a transitional council where the different sectors of society would be represented should take over the administration. The council should then prepare for an election to determine who would next lead the country, she added.
Local officials from Metro Manila who are identified with opposition also attended the march that was met by a 500-strong dispersal team of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Region III at the Welcome Rotunda. A back up team of around 200 PNP men wearing camouflaged uniform and armed with high-powered rifles stood in front of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) along España Avenue.
“Pati nga ako ayaw padaanin,” said Manila Councilor Francisco Moreno who joined the rally together with their vice-mayor Danny Lacuña. He chided Manila Mayor Lito Atienza for not allowing the protest action to reach Manila. “Tuta kasi ni GMA yun e” (Atienza is a puppet of GMA), he said.
Moreno said he joined the rally because he believes that Macapagal-Arroyo cheated during the last elections. “They spent around P200 million to buy votes in Manila alone but that big amount did not defer Poe from winning in our area,” he said. Poe won in Manila by an 82,000-margin over her, the councilor said.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, who arrived at the rally site with his security men at around 4 p.m. said, “Nagpapatunay ito na nagigising na ang humihingi ng katotohanan” (Those looking for the truth have stood up) referring to the big crowd that held the rally that day. This also proves, he said, that the opposition has now united to confront one common enemy – the Macapagal-Arroyo administration.
Although he was not privy to any military defections, Binay said he is certain that there are “many political defections” referring to a swelling number of local government officials like mayors and governors who have quietly joined the ranks of the opposition.
The opposition’s unity was shown in a press conference of the United Opposition (UNO) at the Club Filipino in Mandaluyong City June 23 where leaders of various groups faced the media for the first time for a unified call for the truth to prevail and to eventually oust the president.
Present were May 2004 presidential bet Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson who, earlier that day launched his “Be Not Afraid Movement” which will put up centers that would distribute CD copies of the alleged GMA-Garcillano wiretapped conversation and former vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda who said she would continue her electoral protest against Vice President Noli de Castro. The former senator added that the alleged wiretapped conversation caught on tape by some Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) agents was a vindication of her protest. Bulatlat
