FPJ supporters join calls for Arroyo resignation

By Ronron
February 27, 2008

Despite the death of Fernando Poe, Jr. (FPJ) in 2004, his supporters continue their fight for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whom they accuse of cheating her way to power in 2004.

With fresh allegations of corruption hurled against the Arroyo government stemming from the expose of Rodolfo Lozada, Jr. on the alleged anomaly behind the now-cancelled National Broadband Network (NBN) deal, supporters of FPJ on Wednesday revived their calls for Arroyo’s resignation.

Meeting for the first time at Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan after quite a long period, around 20 groups of FPJ supporters yesterday declared support to Lozada and other NBN witnesses, and vowed participation in efforts to oust Arroyo.

“The FPJ advocates will continue to be at the forefront of all protest activities and mobilizations, and be present at the February 29 inter-faith rally of all converging forces for truth and justice,” the group said in a statement.

Rez Cortez, chairman of the FPJ National Council of Concerned Volunteers (NCCV), said they will start joining the mass actions against Arroyo by attending the “Mass for Truth” on Thursday afternoon at the University of Makati.

After the February 29 rally at Makati City, the group will continue to actively campaign for the ouster of Arroyo, such as by joining another Holy Mass at the University of Sto. Tomas in Manila City on March 4th, he said.

“We will try to do it on a daily basis. We will not stop until Gloria Arroyo steps down from the position, which is not really hers,” Cortez said in Filipino, reiterating that Poe was cheated by Arroyo in the 2004 polls.

Oscar Valera, vice president of Filipinos for Peace, Justice and Progress Movement (FPJPM), appealed for Poe’s widow, Susan Roces, to join them in their activities.

“We are calling on Ms. Susan Roces that hopefully, she will join us now in making a stand. Her presence is very important in the crisis we are in now because she is the leader the FPJ supporters look up to,” Valera said in Filipino in the same gathering.

Nonetheless, even without Roces’ leadership, and despite the decision of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) not to call for Arroyo’s resignation, the hundreds of thousands of FPJ supporters will continue with their struggle, said Ed Bacungan of the FPJ Ideals group.

“The CBCP is just playing safe. It’s not that it’s gay or weak. It’s saying that the initiative must come from the people. So Gloria Arroyo should resign before it’s too late,” Bacungan said in the same event.

“We are not dismayed. In fact, we are challenged, we are determined to continue the fight until we see an end to this regime. So we are calling on all supporters of FPJ to join us,” Valera added.

Asked pointblank if there will be a march-to-Malacanang scenario in the coming days
involving FPJ supporters to force Arroyo’s ouster, Cortez just said: “We don’t know that yet. It should happen spontaneously. If that is what the people want, we will follow that. We will be sensitive to the true sentiments of the people.”/DMS