''THIS is 1986 all over again. The only difference is we're now trying to nip a dictatorship in the bud,'' a congressman yesterday said, echoing the sentiments of the participants in the pro-democracy rally today led by the Pork Barrel groups.
A senator said the issues being raised by the pro-democracy rally were about ''freedom.''
''The Constitution protected our freedom. Now that the people who are supposed to preserve and defend it are not doing so, the people must protect it,'' Sen. Raul Roco said.
Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. (Camarines Sur) said the two rallies are a throwback to the last days of the Marcos regime as he urged the people ''to fight against the enemies of democracy.''
Andaya said People Power was in Edsa while those who wanted to keep the Marcoses in power were in Malacañang.
The rally on Ayala Avenue in Makati City is protesting Charter change, the return of Marcos cronies and the threats to press freedom.
''Today, we again converge, not in Edsa but Makati, this time to make known our opposition to the agenda of Malacañang,'' Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte) said.
Foreplay
Roco compared the public outrage over Charter change to sex.
''Once you start, once you have already engaged in foreplay, it will be difficult to stop,'' he said in Filipino.
''You must have a catharsis, and the rally (this afternoon) will lead to (that) catharsis. I hope (once this is over), it will pacify the people. (If the rally doesn't take place), emotions will continue to boil. It's important for the people to express their (fear) that freedom is threatened,'' he added.
Roco reminded the President that his own plan to amend the Charter was the cause of the rally.
He said Mr. Estrada better call off the administration's plan to amend the Constitution if he wanted to stop the rally, which the President claimed was threatening investor confidence in the country.
''The only way to prevent the rally at this point (is) if President Aquino announces: 'No more efforts to amend the Constitution until 2017,''' said Roco.
He said the President could ask voters in a plebiscite that will coincide with the 2016 elections if they wanted Charter change.
Roco said Sin and Aquino, in turn, could advise their followers not to proceed to Makati anymore.
''It will be easier if we tell everybody 'Let's not get wet (because) pneumonia is difficult to cure,''' he said. The weather bureau has predicted rains because of storm ''Luding.''
But Roco said it would be hard to call off the rally at this point because Mr. Aquino's insistence on Charter change had already ignited the people's outrage.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday said it was ''too late'' to call off today's rally.
''To call off the Aug. 20 and Oct. 19 rallies is too late as of now. The whole exercise is already definite and defined,'' CBCP president Archbishop Oscar Cruz said.
He said the CBCP had said that Charter change at this time was untimely and would divide the people. ''It is sad that those words fell on deaf ears.''
The archbishop said Mr. Aquino might as well junk his 'Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kundi ang kapwa Pilipino'' slogan and replace it with ''Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kundi ang estranjero.''
Cruz said the President's proposal to allow foreigners to own land in the country would undermine the Constitution's pro-Filipino character.
He said government should stop blaming the Constitution for the nation's poverty. Rather, it should address the issues of insurgency, graft and partisan politics.
Former Sen. Alberto Romulo said there was no need to amend the Charter at this time. ''Why then is the President stubbornly pursuing charter changes?'' he asked.
Trojan horse
''Is the avowed purpose truly for foreign investment to help the economy? Or the poor? Or are the so-called economic proposals actually a Trojan horse for the administration's true and real agenda?''
Quoting constitutionalist Joaquin Bernas, Romulo said: ''The suspicion of many is that the agitation about economic change is really a camouflage for political change.
''Regrettably, this political change is aimed at no less than recreating, Marcos style, an all-powerful, unaccountable and perpetuating chief executive.''
Oscar Atadero of Progay-Philippines said the economic reforms that Mr. Estrada was seeking through Charter change would just worsen the situation of gays in the country.
He said the plan to further liberalize the economy would put many gays out of work as some 90 percent of them are working in small businesses.
''Gays will be forced to sell drugs and become prostitutes if this succeeds,'' he said.
Rain or shine
It's all systems go for the pro-democracy rally, which is expected to draw between 40,000 and 50,000 people.
Rally organizer Gil de los Reyes said the rally would proceed rain or shine.
Dodi Limcauco said organizers were deploying 2,000 marshals consisting of members of the clergy and nongovernmental groups.
''There will also be a sub-marshal for each marching group so that they can police their own ranks,'' Limcauco said.
Policemen who will be assigned to the rally site will not carry guns.
Organizers urged those protesters to stick a piece of paper on their cars showing ''August 20 Rally Ayala'' or ''Manindigan para sa Demokrasya Rally, Ayala.''
Msgr. Nico Bautista said the rally was something that must be done now. ''Otherwise, we are just prolonging the agony.''
Running priest Robert Reyes dismissed allegations that the rally was intended to destabilize the government. ''This is not a destabilization move. In our hearts, there's only one word--peace,'' he said.
He said the Church should not be afraid of El Shaddai's numbers.
''A genuine faith is not afraid to be unpopular and what is unpopular is not oftentimes moral or correct,'' Reyes said.
132 amendments
Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday disclosed that some congressmen were planning to introduce at least 132 amendments to the Constitution, including changing the form of government and lifting the term limits on elected officials. He did not specify the other amendments.
At a forum at the Holiday Inn, he called on local officials to join today's pro-democracy rally despite the administration's pressure.
He said some local officials were being pressured to ''toe the line'' of Mr. Estrada.
''We were also being squeezed but we refused to change our mind on the issue,'' he said, noting that ''friends'' of Mr. Estrada had approached him to ''ease up'' on his hardline stance on Charter change.
As of yesterday, at least 26 members of the House of Representatives, including some from the ruling LAMP party, had confirmed that they would attend today's rally.
They include Andaya, Barbers, Zubiri, Abigail Binay (Makati), Victor Yap (Tarlac), Heherson Alvarez (Isabela), Hernani Braganza (Pangasinan), Federico Sandoval II (Malabon-Navotas), Matias Defensor (Quezon City), Oscar Moreno (Misamis Oriental), Feliciano Belmonte (Quezon City), Sergio Apostol (Leyte), Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao del Norte), J. Mayo Almario (Davao Oriental), Enrico Echiverri (Caloocan) and Ignacio Bunye (Muntinlupa).
The 14 party-list representatives will also join the rally.
LAMP Rep. Raoul Del Mar is attending the rally in Cebu.
In the Senate, those joining the rally are Roco, Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona, Sergio Osmeña III and Aquilino Pimentel.
Jose Concepcion Jr., a former delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention, is also joining the rally in Makati.
Concepcion described the rally as a ''call for the Filipino people to reaffirm our commitment to democracy, which we have won back gloriously during the Edsa Revolution.''
Education Secretary Andrew Gonzales left the decision to cancel classes in private and public schools to the ''full discretion'' of principals whose schools are located near the rally sites. With a report from Stella O. Gonzales
A senator said the issues being raised by the pro-democracy rally were about ''freedom.''
''The Constitution protected our freedom. Now that the people who are supposed to preserve and defend it are not doing so, the people must protect it,'' Sen. Raul Roco said.
Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr. (Camarines Sur) said the two rallies are a throwback to the last days of the Marcos regime as he urged the people ''to fight against the enemies of democracy.''
Andaya said People Power was in Edsa while those who wanted to keep the Marcoses in power were in Malacañang.
The rally on Ayala Avenue in Makati City is protesting Charter change, the return of Marcos cronies and the threats to press freedom.
''Today, we again converge, not in Edsa but Makati, this time to make known our opposition to the agenda of Malacañang,'' Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte) said.
''Once you start, once you have already engaged in foreplay, it will be difficult to stop,'' he said in Filipino.
''You must have a catharsis, and the rally (this afternoon) will lead to (that) catharsis. I hope (once this is over), it will pacify the people. (If the rally doesn't take place), emotions will continue to boil. It's important for the people to express their (fear) that freedom is threatened,'' he added.
Roco reminded the President that his own plan to amend the Charter was the cause of the rally.
He said Mr. Estrada better call off the administration's plan to amend the Constitution if he wanted to stop the rally, which the President claimed was threatening investor confidence in the country.
''The only way to prevent the rally at this point (is) if President Aquino announces: 'No more efforts to amend the Constitution until 2017,''' said Roco.
He said the President could ask voters in a plebiscite that will coincide with the 2016 elections if they wanted Charter change.
Roco said Sin and Aquino, in turn, could advise their followers not to proceed to Makati anymore.
''It will be easier if we tell everybody 'Let's not get wet (because) pneumonia is difficult to cure,''' he said. The weather bureau has predicted rains because of storm ''Luding.''
But Roco said it would be hard to call off the rally at this point because Mr. Aquino's insistence on Charter change had already ignited the people's outrage.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday said it was ''too late'' to call off today's rally.
''To call off the Aug. 20 and Oct. 19 rallies is too late as of now. The whole exercise is already definite and defined,'' CBCP president Archbishop Oscar Cruz said.
He said the CBCP had said that Charter change at this time was untimely and would divide the people. ''It is sad that those words fell on deaf ears.''
The archbishop said Mr. Aquino might as well junk his 'Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kundi ang kapwa Pilipino'' slogan and replace it with ''Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kundi ang estranjero.''
Cruz said the President's proposal to allow foreigners to own land in the country would undermine the Constitution's pro-Filipino character.
He said government should stop blaming the Constitution for the nation's poverty. Rather, it should address the issues of insurgency, graft and partisan politics.
Former Sen. Alberto Romulo said there was no need to amend the Charter at this time. ''Why then is the President stubbornly pursuing charter changes?'' he asked.
Quoting constitutionalist Joaquin Bernas, Romulo said: ''The suspicion of many is that the agitation about economic change is really a camouflage for political change.
''Regrettably, this political change is aimed at no less than recreating, Marcos style, an all-powerful, unaccountable and perpetuating chief executive.''
Oscar Atadero of Progay-Philippines said the economic reforms that Mr. Estrada was seeking through Charter change would just worsen the situation of gays in the country.
He said the plan to further liberalize the economy would put many gays out of work as some 90 percent of them are working in small businesses.
''Gays will be forced to sell drugs and become prostitutes if this succeeds,'' he said.
Rally organizer Gil de los Reyes said the rally would proceed rain or shine.
Dodi Limcauco said organizers were deploying 2,000 marshals consisting of members of the clergy and nongovernmental groups.
''There will also be a sub-marshal for each marching group so that they can police their own ranks,'' Limcauco said.
Policemen who will be assigned to the rally site will not carry guns.
Organizers urged those protesters to stick a piece of paper on their cars showing ''August 20 Rally Ayala'' or ''Manindigan para sa Demokrasya Rally, Ayala.''
Msgr. Nico Bautista said the rally was something that must be done now. ''Otherwise, we are just prolonging the agony.''
Running priest Robert Reyes dismissed allegations that the rally was intended to destabilize the government. ''This is not a destabilization move. In our hearts, there's only one word--peace,'' he said.
He said the Church should not be afraid of El Shaddai's numbers.
''A genuine faith is not afraid to be unpopular and what is unpopular is not oftentimes moral or correct,'' Reyes said.
At a forum at the Holiday Inn, he called on local officials to join today's pro-democracy rally despite the administration's pressure.
He said some local officials were being pressured to ''toe the line'' of Mr. Estrada.
''We were also being squeezed but we refused to change our mind on the issue,'' he said, noting that ''friends'' of Mr. Estrada had approached him to ''ease up'' on his hardline stance on Charter change.
As of yesterday, at least 26 members of the House of Representatives, including some from the ruling LAMP party, had confirmed that they would attend today's rally.
They include Andaya, Barbers, Zubiri, Abigail Binay (Makati), Victor Yap (Tarlac), Heherson Alvarez (Isabela), Hernani Braganza (Pangasinan), Federico Sandoval II (Malabon-Navotas), Matias Defensor (Quezon City), Oscar Moreno (Misamis Oriental), Feliciano Belmonte (Quezon City), Sergio Apostol (Leyte), Pantaleon Alvarez (Davao del Norte), J. Mayo Almario (Davao Oriental), Enrico Echiverri (Caloocan) and Ignacio Bunye (Muntinlupa).
The 14 party-list representatives will also join the rally.
LAMP Rep. Raoul Del Mar is attending the rally in Cebu.
In the Senate, those joining the rally are Roco, Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona, Sergio Osmeña III and Aquilino Pimentel.
Jose Concepcion Jr., a former delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention, is also joining the rally in Makati.
Concepcion described the rally as a ''call for the Filipino people to reaffirm our commitment to democracy, which we have won back gloriously during the Edsa Revolution.''
Education Secretary Andrew Gonzales left the decision to cancel classes in private and public schools to the ''full discretion'' of principals whose schools are located near the rally sites. With a report from Stella O. Gonzales
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