[asia-apec 1426] Various anti-Estrada groups come together

[BAYAN]

NEWS RELEASE 
April 11, 2000

Time to reflect and unite
VARIOUS ANTI-ESTRADA GROUPS COME TOGETHER


Despite a setback suffered by the Silent Protest Movement, the broad front
critical of the Estrada Administration is gaining ground in the organized
sector, as the Left, moderate groups, and the legal opposition start
working on joint activities and campaigns. 

This was revealed in today's "Misang Bayan" (Peoples' Mass) at the Our Lady
of EDSA Shrine, where urban poor groups were joined by other sectors for a
"day of prayer for national redemption from poverty, cronyism, nepotism,
graft and corruption and injustice." 

Present at the mass were members of BAYAN (New Patriotic Alliance), April 6
Movement, Society of Professionals for the Advancement of Democracy (SPADE),
Aug. 21 Movement (ATOM), April 6 Movement, Kapulungan ng mga Sandigan ng
Pilipinas (KASAPI), Article 64 Movement, Wednesday Group, various Church
organizations, artists and anti-Marcos luminaries, among others. Also present
were personalities from the Silent Protest Movement. 

The mass was in preparation for the much bigger "Kalbaryo ng Sambayanan" on
Friday, April 14, where the urban poor will depict their own Way of the Cross
and Seven Last Words in a march of reflection and lamentation from Plaza Sta.
Cruz to Mendiola Bridge. 

“Just like during the last years of the Marcos dictatorship, groups of various
political shades are coming together to face a common challenge," said
Sept. 21 Committee Spokesperson Fr. Joe Dizon who officiated at this
morning's mass. 

"The people are saying, enough of cronyism and corruption, enough of
incompetence and abuse of authority, enough of tyranny, enough of
globalization and the sell-out of our national patrimony and sovereignty.
In other words, enough is enough, enough of Erap!” stressed Dizon. 

For his part, Bayan Secretary General Teodoro Casiño said that the next dates
to look out for were Labor Day on May 1 and the opening of Congress on July,
where Pres. Estrada will deliver his annual State of the Nation Address. 

"We are witnessing the formation of a core group composed of elements from
various political tendencies spanning the Left to the Right, that will
eventually lead the movement to oust Pres. Estrada. At this point, it is
already possible to unite through coordination, cooperation and joint
activities," said Casiño. 

"We are united that the Estrada administration is not serving the people's
interest, and that the sooner the Estrada presidency ends, the better it
will be for our nation," said Casiño. 

He said the next step would be to unite on the actual mechanism for Estrada's
ouster and the alternatives to an Estrada regime. "This is something which
will be realized in the course of the struggle to oust Estrada," he
clarified. 
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Bayan Int'l-Europe on Guingona's call for Estrada's Resignation

Note: This is a copy of the letter sent to Philippine newspapers on April
7. It has been published in the Inquirer, Today and Star. 

Dear Editor:

Filipinos in Europe support the call of democratic, patriotic and progressive
forces in the Philippines for the resignation or ouster of anti-people and
anti-national and mentally unstable Joseph Estrada as president of the
Philippines. The corrupt, anti-poor, brutal, pro-big business and pro-foreign
monopoly capitalists regime of Estrada and his clique of gamblers, thieves and
human rights violators should be immediately and unconditionally removed from
office to prevent further exploitation and repression of the people.

Thus, we congratulate Senator Teofisto Guingona for his patriotic and
courageous act of calling for the resignation of Estrada. With the growth in
strength of the people's movement demanding the resignation or ouster of
Estrada, we are sure that in due time, Senator Guingona's colleagues will join
him in calling for the resignation of Estrada and his coterie and to account
for their crimes against the people. We call on all patriotic lawmakers to
join the people in the parliament of the streets so that together, they
shall, like the days of the Marcos dictatorship, join hands in getting rid
of a national nightmare!

During the visit of Guingona with MIGRANTE-Europe last year, we cheered his
firmness in rejecting the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). We urge him to
remain steadfast instanding in solidarity with the peoples' movement to remove
Estrada from office. 

Grace Punongbayan
MIGRANTE-Europe
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Cesar T. Taguba
BAYAN International-Europe
Amersfoort, Netherlands