Wednesday, September 12, 2007 Bishop warns of another people revolution
* Cops, soldiers on full alert status during Estrada plunder case promulgation
* PSG ready to defend Malacañang v. Estrada supporters
A SENIOR member of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Tuesday warned of possible and escalating mass actions if the Sandigabayan would convict former President Joseph Estrada of the plunder charges.
Bishop Teodoro Bacani, also one of the spiritual advisers of Estrada, said he is expecting a guilty verdict from the anti-graft court, which is set to hand down its ruling on Wednesday.
“I hope their decision would be based on evidence,” Bacani said.
He explained that the guilty verdict is basically to show the legitimacy of the Arroyo government as well as to indicate that even the Catholic Church did not make any wrong actions when it joined the clamor and be an instrument in the ouster of Estrada in January 2001.
But personally, Bacani is convinced that Estrada is not guilty of the plunder charges hurled against him.
While not discounting the possibility of mass actions, the bishop believed that “people power” would only take place if the decision would find it hard to show that it is really based on evidence and hard facts and not because it has been influenced.
He noted, however, that protests would be seen once Estrada is convicted because the deposed leader has still a great number of supporters who believed that he did not commit any crime.
Moreover, Bacani said the decision of the Sandiganbayan would also be crucial in maintaining its own credibility especially if it would be established that it allows itself to be swayed and influenced by some politicians that are supporting the Arroyo government.
He likewise scored the Arroyo administration for committing several anomalies, including “Hello Garci” scandal and National Broadband Network (NBN) deal, and getting away with it.
Jose “Linggoy” Alcuaz, convener of the Oust Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Coalition, said Estrada supporters might not take kindly if the former President is convicted and imprisoned along with hardened criminals at the maximum penitentiary.
He said his group believed that the anti-graft court’s Special Division will convict the former leader of the plunder charges.
“If former President Estrada is committed to the Bilibid once there is a conviction by the anti-graft court, there is a possibility of a repeat of Edsa 3,” Alcuaz said.
He was referring to the 2001 Labor Day siege when hundreds of Estrada supporters stormed Malacañang in a failed bid to restore him to power. Several protesters and police personnel were injured in the ensuing clashes as authorities blocked their way.
The promulgation of the decision on the case will start at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Tight security measures will be implemented within the premises of the Sandiganbayan building during and after the promulgation.
Both the prosecution and the defense, after engaging in countless court clashes during six years of the trial, have predicted a guilty verdict for Estrada.
The 70-year-old former President himself earlier said he is resigned to a verdict of conviction.
Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio said the prosecution has “high confidence level” that Estrada will be convicted of plunder, citing the “overwhelming” evidence they have presented during the trial.
But Estrada’s lead lawyer, Rene Saguisag, said the Special Division is bound by earlier Supreme Court (SC) pronouncements, which have supposedly rendered virtually nil any chance of an acquittal.
Saguisag said Estrada’s fate has already been decided as early as 2001.
“The alignment of the stars is against us. Joseph Estrada’s fate was decided on January 20, 2001 when an overwhelming majority of the members of the SC went to Edsa to swear President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo into office,” he pointed out.
All Metro Manila policemen have been placed on alert status to prevent any disturbances when the Sandiganbayan renders its verdict.
Rally organizers have petitioned the Quezon City Government to allow them to hold their protests at the corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Batasan Road where the Sandiganbayan building is located but National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Reynaldo Varilla said they would not be allowed beyond the 200-meter radius “no rally zone.”
“We are asking them to please follow the rule of law whatever any verdict that might come out,” Varilla said.
As of Tuesday morning, only Quezon City, Makati and Pasay have given permits for rallies in connection with the Estrada plunder case promulgation.
Estrada supporters have also submitted two applications for rallies before the Muntinlupa City Government as well as a separate petition before the Manila City Government.
The Makati City Government has already granted the request of rally organizers for a similar action at the Ninoy Aquino Monument at the corner of Ayala and Paseo De Roxas avenues at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
In Malacañang, President Arroyo is likely to be holed up inside the Palace on Wednesday.
Brigadier General Romeo Prestoza, commander of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), cited security reasons for the changes in the President’s schedule, adding that the PSG is continuously assessing the situation.
Malacañang has been on alert status since Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison was arrested by the Dutch police on August 28.
PSG members in both urban and jungle camouflage uniforms and carrying long firearms guarded the entrances and exits to the Palace compound.
Prestoza said the military-police peace forum on Wednesday, which is supposed to be held at Camp Crame in Quezon City, would just be held inside the Palace. This means the top military and police officials would also be inside Malacañang on the same day.
He said the President will no longer attend the Eucharistic mass for Holy Name of Mary in Lipa City, Batangas because security officials are still wary what Estrada supporters would do.
According to him, there is enough number of personnel to secure Malacañang and the First Family from any possible eventuality during Wednesday’s announcement of the verdict on the plunder case of Estrada.
He said security measures are already in place around the Palace in coordination with the NCRPO and the military’s National Capital Region Command.
Prestoza said the PSG is prepared for a repeat of the May 1, 2001 incident where Estrada supporters swooped down on Malacañang in their attempt to reinstall the former President to presidency, four months after he was ousted.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Antonio Apostol advised Arroyo to “just stay in Malacañang.”
Apostol said the President’s declaration of September 12 as a “national day of prayer for peace, reparation and consecration of our nation” under Proclamation 1362 was just “coincidental.”
He said Arroyo did not know that it would be the promulgation date. Arroyo signed Proclamation 1362 on August 15.
He said the President will lead the nation in prayer and reconciliation. “Yes, prayer always tempers anger,” he added.
In Proclamation 1362, Arroyo said the promotion of peace and unity among Filipinos “has all too often lost its relevance in our nation, which is beset by hostility, bitterness, constant conflict and too much politics.”
National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said he does not foresee “anything extraordinary that would be happening.”
“We would not allow that to happen because we’re more prepared this time. I don’t think that the supporters of the former President would attempt to another siege in Malacañang,” said Gonzales.
He added that unlike on May 1, 2001, they would not be caught by surprise. He said massing up of people would also not be allowed especially if they do not have any permits to hold rallies.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando advised the rallyists to find public plazas where they could hold their rallies so as not to disrupt traffic in the area.
He said they would be increasing their forces to assist in the traffic, adding that there would be no suspension of the number coding.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said there is no turning back on the deployment of 2,000 soldiers to Metro Manila who are out to “uphold and enforce” whatever verdict that the Sandiganbayan Special Division would hand down on the Estrada plunder case.
Teodoro said the deployment of soldiers ahead of the promulgation was meant to thwart any possible destabilization move by some quarters who may capitalize on the situation to pursue personal gains.
The military has declared a nationwide red alert so that soldiers would be prepared for any eventuality that may arise from the protests that would be mounted by the supporters of the former President.
The PNP, which is the lead role in the security preparations, has also declared a heightened alert status. It deployed 4,000 policemen around Sandiganbayan and Malacañang. (Sunnex)
