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Media Release
08 March 2008
For reference: Kristian Mark Urbano
Public Information Officer
(0928-398-8908)
Group braves rain, pursues walk for truth devoid of permit
Iligan City—Members of KAMATUORAN! in Lanao today braved the rain and
pursued the ‘Walk for Truth’ in major streets of the city chanting “liars
go to hell.” Clad in “oust Gloria” headbands, the rain-soaked protesters
held the launching activity of the Coalition in front of the city’s post
office which they said will formally kick-off the local campaign in
“searching for truth amidst the insidious effort to suppress it.”
KAMATUORAN! is a Mindanao-wide alliance established at the height of the
NBN-ZTE Deal scandal, resisting the prevailing moral bankruptcy in the
country’s governance, and calling for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s removal
from office. The Lanao formation is mainly convened by religious groups
from the Sisters Association in Mindanao (SAMIN-DIOPIM), Promotion of
Church People’s Response (PCPR-Lanao), Rural Missionaries of the
Philippines (RMP-Lanao) and the Philippine Independent Chuch (PIC), along
with the people’s organizations and individuals from the United Church of
Christ in the Philippines (UCCP-Lanao) and the academe.
Earlier, the group lambasted city’s PNP Senior Superintendent Virgilio
Ranes for denying them permit to hold the activity in an Endorsement
Letter to the City Mayor dated March 6, 2008, stating “the issue is over”
as the reason.
Kristian Mark Urbano, the Coalition’s Public Information Officer said the
PNP is not an authority to rule on issues, emphasizing “the basis of
granting or denying a permit springs from the police’ assessment of the
security situation, and the possible disturbance of the peace and order
condition because of the activity, and not from his (Ranes) personal
assessment on the timing of the issue and the protest action. It seems
that Superintendent Ranes doesn’t know his job.”
Urbano added that the police officer’s arrogant act is dubious. “Is it a
part of the grand national scheme to quell dissent versus the President
for her to continue clinging to power?” he asked.
Having white and red as motif of this afternoon’s seemingly festive
activity, the launching coincides with the commemoration of the
International Women’s Day. Hanan Balindong, a woman leader of the
Coalition’s member organization, Youth Act Now!-Lanao, said that Mrs.
Arroyo “is a shame to women. While our women and people suffer the brunt
of economic crunch, she’s amassing millions of pesos from kickbacks in
government contracts.”
As a part of its campaign, the coalition is set to host a “Campus Tour for
Truth” with NBN-ZTE deal scandal key witnesses Mr. Joey de Venecia III and
Jun Lozada before the end of the month. Youth Act Now in Iligan is set to
have the Five O’clock Habit, a daily protest action every 5pm at
MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology gate to pressure “GMA to tell the truth
regarding the latest scandals that continue to wrack her administration.”
To the tune of ‘Bayan Ko,’ the group ended the activity with clenched
fists past five in the afternoon. White and red balloons were released
symbolizing truth and the militant assertion to have this.###
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