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 23rd
anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law. Bulatlat
SECOND DAY: Part of the 5,000 or so
oust-Arroyo protesters (right photo) show their thumbs down in
a show of outrage over the 'killing' of the impeachment, as leaders
of the broad alliance (left) stand in a moment of silence during
the interfaith prayer before the start of rally at the People Power
Monument on Sept. 7.