[asia-apec 1702] URGENT APPEAL TO HELP SAVE PHILIPPINE DEMOCRACY

[viktor at skyinet.net]

URGENT APPEAL TO  HELP SAVE PHILIPPINE  DEMOCRACY


It is now  our turn to issue an urgent appeal to you in the
international community to help defend democracy in the Philippines.

On  Tuesday night, the Philippine Senate impeachment court voted 11-10
against opening sealed bank documents that public prosecutors said
would prove that  Philippine President Joseph Estrada had amassed P3.3
billion in a secret account with  the  bank.

The prosecutors said the sealed envelope would provide some of the most
damaging evidence yet that the President -who is accused of bribery,
graft and corrupt practices, betrayal of trust and culpable violation of
the Constitution - acquired ill-gotten wealth through bribes and
kickbacks after only 18 months in office. The defense adamantly claimed
that the bank  account was not included in the Articles of Impeachment.

Already, the Senate vote is interpreted by many as a "vote of acquittal"
for Estrada. Thousands took to the streets just  after the vote to
express their indignation. Public trust in the impeachment trial has
been significantly eroded. There is talk of  disregarding whatever  the
trial will result to  and instead to pursue the oust-Estrada struggle in
the streets. A Peoples Power Revolution  Part II  has been called by the
Church and the democratic Opposition.  Rumors of  a coup are in the air,
while  Filipinos  are now  bitterly  divided into pro-Estrada and  anti
groups, with both camps claiming the majority. More alarming, the
Philippine peso plunged  to  all-time lows.

We  had  hoped  that the trial would result in an impartial  resolution
of the issues charged against our President. We  also believed that
opening the bank envelope was the only way to determine whether the
contents of the envelope are relevant and material to the impeachment
case.

Even  that  hope is  gone now.  The  premature vote in the Senate  has
revealed the  shameless biases of  Senators and appears to have
effectively ended  any further conduct of  a  fair trial. The  process
of  democratic  debate has been rendered a mockery by the predictable
vote.  The  impeachment  trial- which  started out dignified -  has been
robbed of  its  moral ground.

We  had  long  called on Estrada to resign because of  public loss of
trust in his office. We asked  him to  let  constitutional processes
take over.  He ignored the people's warnings.

Now the Filipino people  are again made the final arbiters of  the
nation's future. Rightly so.  But our  country is  plunged once more
into the perilous arena of the streets.

WE are asking you in the international community to launch a campaign in
your respective countries  to help save Philippine democracy.  Circulate
letters and  petitions asking Estrada to resign now to dissipate
widespread public anger. Write or picket  the Philippine embassies in
your place  expressing your concern over the deteriorating political and
economic situation in the Philippines. Organize and link up with support
groups for  Philippine  democracy.  Express your solidarity with the
Filipino people!


Initiatives for  International  Dialogue (IID)
17 January  2001
 Manila and Davao City, Philippines
http://www.iidnet.org