Tuesday, February 26, 2008 500 protesters join rally vs Arroyo By Jeffrey M. Tupas
AROUND 500 rallyists from different sectors staged a rally at Freedom Park in Davao City Monday as they called for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's resignation in time for the 22nd commemoration of the Edsa People Power revolution.
At least a hundred rallyists belong to the league of Filipino Students (LFS) from the Ateneo de Davao University, University of the Philippines-Mindanao, University of Mindanao, Holy Cross of Davao College and the University of Southeastern Philippines.
The protesters also include members of urban poor groups, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Gabriela, Samakana, and other militant groups.
Carlos Manlupig, spokesperson of LFS for Southern Mindanao, said the youth are already exasperated and fed-up by the politics of corruption being espoused by the administration of Arroyo.
The students said there would be more and more protest actions geared at pressuring the administration. On Friday, at least two thousand students from various schools, militant organizations, religious and professionals also gathered in a protest action led by the Ateneo de Davao University.
"We know that Jun Lozada has told us the truth," Manlupig said.
Manlupig added that the commemoration of the first Edsa revolt remains very relevant to the present time especially with Arroyo's refusal to step down despite mounting calls and public pressure for her to give up her the presidency.
"We have a leader who doesn't speak for the interest of the majority of the people and instead goes around stealing people of their good future by bagging every cent, even those that are already outside her comfortable reach. This, she can always do so easily with the help of her equally corrupt cabinet officials," Manlupig said.
Jeppie Ramada, secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Southern Mindanao also said that people in the region will always find Edsa revolution relevant now that "tyranny has returned."
