Anti-Arroyo groups stage Black Friday protest against Arroyo government
News Release
February 8, 2008


Various anti-Arroyo groups today staged a “Black Friday protest caravan” in Metro Manila on the day Senate witness Jun Lozada was set to testify on the anomalies of the Arroyo government.Lozada is a key witness in the multi-million dollar ZTE broadband scam involving officials of the Arroyo government.


The groups assembled at 9:00 am at the Bonifacio Global City and started their protest at around 10:00am. The protest action included members of the Concerned Citizens Group, the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, the Union of Masses for Democracy and Justice, human rights group Karapatan, wives of detained soldiers, Kubol Pag-Asa and other opposition forces. Participants wore black and decorated their vehicles with black ribbons and placards.

Some placards even spoofed popular TV show Desperate Housewives calling the Arroyo family “Desperate Household”. Still another placard played up what the group called the “mafia-like character” of the administration. It showed a picture of the award-winning TV program the Sopranos, but this one read “The Arroyos: We’re stealing your money and running this country”.

“Black is a sign of mourning and protest. People are outraged over the brazen attempts of the Arroyo regime to cover up corruption. People are outraged by the way the administration is violating the law with impunity and insulting the intelligence of the people right after,” said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes, Jr.

The protest caravan stopped in front of Camp Aguinaldo to “greet” AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon a “Happy Birthday” and to show strong opposition to his term extension. Upon reaching Gate 2 of the camp, a streamer was unfurled that read “Happy Birthday General! How many more will die in the next 100 days?” Tomorrow February 9 is the birthday and supposed retirement of Esperon.

Esperon had been given a three month extension by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. The chief of staff had promised to intensify the war with the New People’s Army and predicted a “bloody” 100 days. Human rights groups have blamed the military’s counter-insurgency program for the rise in extra-judicial killings and abduction of activists.

The group then stopped by Camp Crame, the headquarters of the Philippine National Police which is being blamed for the abduction of Lozada. The group then proceeded to the Philippine Senate in Pasay City to meet up with other protesters gathered there.

“The Arroyo government continues to avoid accountability for its crimes. It portrays truth-seeking as mere power-grabbing. It portrays moves to uncover corruption as simply a way of unseating Arroyo. They tell the Opposition to just wait for 2010. That is ridiculous. Justice and accountability cannot be postponed to 2010 just because it is convenient for those being accused of misdeeds,” Reyes said.

“The call for Arroyo’s resignation is a legitimate expression of outrage and protest. It is justified insofar as the current government has been accused of many cases of corruption and abuse of power. The people will decide the fate of Mrs. Arroyo,” the Bayan leader added. ###