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Saturday, July 16, 2005
Free meals for street partyers
The number of people who joined the street party last night exceeded the expected 5,000 who were given meal coupons by Cebu City Hall before they began marching to the Provincial Capitol.
City Hall information officer Nagiel Bañacia said each coupon was good for food and drinks worth P25 from barbecue stands that lined three streets fronting the Capitol building.
He put the crowd between 10,000 and 15,000.
The affair in support of President Arroyo followed Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s State of the Province Address before local officials and invited guests.
Acting Vice Mayor Michael Rama and some members of the City Council led the march from City Hall to the Capitol.
A huge streamer above the entrance of the Capitol that read, “One voice, One Cebu for Gloria, for country,” was unveiled as Garcia stepped out of the building after delivering her address.
The crowd shouted “dili (no)” when she took the stage and asked them if Cebu should allow Manila alone to decide what is best for the country.
Short speech
The governor challenged them to continue with the pro-Gloria rally as long as anti-Arroyo groups continue to fill the streets in Manila demanding for the President to resign over allegations of electoral fraud.
Garcia’s short speech was followed by a two-minute fireworks display, which also signaled the start of the party. Two bands entertained the crowd.
Rama, for his part, thanked the Cebuanos for unwavering support for the President.
The festive atmosphere at the Capitol was in contrast to the skirmish between militant groups and the police and military during the anti-Arroyo rally outside the Malaca-ñang sa Sugbo last Wednesday.
Leaders who “instigated” protesters into destroying the barricades in front of the Malacañang sa Sugbo will be included in the charges that police plan to file.
Acting Cebu City Police Chief Melvin Gayotin said they will primarily charge Bagong Alyansang Maka-bayan’s Paul Rodriguez for physical injuries and child abuse.
Call
Provincial Board Member Juan Bolo also wants the board to join the call to ban children from demonstrations.
“Allowing children to join protest demonstrations in order to dramatize the adults’ grievance against the government exposes them to danger and other negative elements in the streets,” Bolo said in a proposed resolution.
Four persons were injured in last Wednesday’s rally after the police was forced to use water cannons and tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
The incident also prompted Gayotin to recommend to the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) to build a swinging gate at the access road leading to the President’s official residence in Cebu to thwart future protest actions.
“This is a symbolic area and we don’t want them (protesters) destroying the fences and other barricades. I am proposing to strengthen this so they can no longer destroy it,” Gayotin told reporters yesterday.
He also wants similar gates around the area of City Hall’s flagpole after protesters in previous rallies began to block the building’s steps leading to the entrance.
Complaint
He said those who had transactions at the building complained about the presence of the protesters because they could not pass.
“We do not want them to hamper the functions at City Hall,” he said.
Gayotin explained that the gates will be opened most of the time but will be closed when rallyists start to approach so they will be contained in one area.
As to the physical injuries and child abuse charges against members of the militant groups, Gayotin said they are still in the process of identifying the offenders.
He assured, though, that they will push through with the filing of charges especially after members of the PCAC supported the plan.
He said that if his men fail to identify those who threw the stones and the parents who brought their children to the rally, they will file the charges against the leaders whom he said “initiated” the actions. (AIV/MEA/JPM)
(July 16, 2005 issue)
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