December 8, 2006 - PARTICIPANTS of the "Jericho March," numbering 80,000 strong, could have gotten their dramatic message across had they not been blocked by police barricades on orders of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
The barricades had been installed at the Manila Film Center close to a kilometer away from the Senate. The marchers, led by former President Corazon Aquino and Vice President Noli de Castro, were forced to march to the Senate in batches of 500.
"Sayang (What a pity). We only wanted the senators to realize that thousands of people came. We hoped they would allow everyone to come here so we can show them how many of us are here praying for them," Aquino said, adding:
"We came here to pray that they would make good their promise and their duty to come out with the truth."
But de Castro said what happened was "good enough." Despite their failure to march around the Senate, she said, they were able to relay the message that the majority of Filipinos wanted the truth to come out.
"We want President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to know that we came here hoping and praying that the truth shall prevail," she said.
March negotiators led by former Defense Secretary Renato de Villa, Fr. Robert Reyes, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez and Laguna Gov. Teresita Lazaro complained that police had belatedly tried to change the agreement that they would be allowed to march around the Senate building.
They said the agreement was reached in three days of negotiations with authorities.
The marchers were allowed to go past four police barricades after "tense negotiations."
They thus failed to implement their plan to form a chain of 25 people marching abreast and surround the Senate building.
Earlier in the day, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales called on the President to testify at the impeachment trial.
Sin also told Mrs. Arroyo not to be afraid to resign--a message that Aquino also aired.
10 abreast
Bearing the "torch of truth," the Jericho marchers--belonging to the Kongreso ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kompil) II, Makati Business Club, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines--were made to march 10 abreast so they would occupy only one lane of the street leading to the Senate.
They were allowed only up to the front of the Senate grounds. Then they made a U-turn, exiting through the parking lot, to allow another batch to come in.
Tension arose when police allowed pro-Arroyo demonstrators numbering about 10,000 into the Senate grounds even before the last of the Jericho marchers came up to the space fronting the Senate, Reyes said.
Chief Supt. Edgardo Aglipay, director of the National Capital Region Police Office, said Pimentel had issued an order to clear the grounds, specifically the space directly in front of the Senate, to make way for whatever "untoward incident" that might occur inside the building.
"If we allow the marchers to occupy the front and something happened inside, the cars of the senators, the Chief Justice, the defense panel, the prosecutors and other personalities cannot easily get through," Aglipay stressed.
Asked whether police had received reports that such an untoward incident would occur, he said: "We prepared for the worst. No one can tell what’s going to happen inside."
Aglipay also said Pimentel was worried that the Jericho marchers would "upset" the impeachment trial because of the planned 5-minute noise barrage in front of the building.
He said Pimentel had ordered that only 500 Jericho marchers be allowed in front of the Senate because this was the same number allowed the pro-Estrada demonstrators.
‘Rich,’ ‘poor’
At around 2:45 p.m., the second batch of marchers were allowed to follow the first at the side of the Senate.
As if on cue, the pro-Estrada demonstrators claimed that they were being set aside in favor of the rich when the two batches, or about 1,000 marchers, led by Aquino and de Castro were allowed in.
"It’s not because a general (De Villa) is negotiating for them to come in, the police will already allow them in. It’s not because they’re rich--Cory, Noli and the people from Makati--and we’re poor, that we will just be shunted aside," Rey Guillermo, chair of the pro-Estrada group Kasambayan, told Aglipay in Taglish.
The 500 pro-Arroyo demonstrators occupied the space between the front yard of the Senate and the parking lot.
About 80 policewomen bearing shields were tapped to bar the marchers in front of the Senate. But 180 policemen were also there as backup.
When negotiations were almost over and Senate Secretary General Lutgardo Barbo allowed the marchers to hold a few minutes of prayer in front of the Senate, tension arose again when Senators Franklin Drilon and Teofisto Guingona went outside the building to join the marchers.
Pangasinan Rep. Hernani Braganza also joined the marchers.
The pro-Estrada demonstrators booed the two senators, Aquino and Macapagal and chanted: "Gloria pa rin, Gloria pa rin!"
The Jericho marchers, on the other hand, complained that the pro-Estrada camp pelted them with stones.
Police set up a human shield to separate the two camps.
Noise barrage
For five minutes, the Jericho marchers held a noise barrage and blew on rams’ horns. They also recited special petitions for the senators to "see the truth."
Heated negotiations then ensued when Lina insisted that the marchers be allowed to go around the Senate and exit at the back.
Police blocked their way and directed them to the parking lot.
When Aglipay saw a space in the barricade that would allow at least three people to pass through, he collared a policeman and dragged him to the space.
The policeman was stunned.
At 4 p.m., former housing chief Karina Constantino-David demanded from police negotiators why they were not being allowed to get past the barricade.
She was given the cold shoulder.
David and her husband, University of the Philippines professor Randy David, were with a group waiting at the Film Center.
"Only one percent of the 80,000 people were held up here," Randy David said. "If we were allowed to join the first two waves, by this time the Jericho March would have been over."
But around 5 p.m., even before the last of the batches of the Jericho marchers were allowed in front of the Senate, the police let in the rest of the pro-Estrada group.
This group occupied the Senate grounds, making the last of the 5,000 marchers belonging to Bayan and KMU wait up to 7 p.m. at the Film Center.
The Bayan-KMU delegation decided to proceed to the Penguin Cafe in Malate, where an anti-Estrada concert will be held.
Most of the marchers stayed at the adjacent lot of the El Shaddai grounds to hold a vigil. A Mass is to be celebrated at dawn today.
The barricades had been installed at the Manila Film Center close to a kilometer away from the Senate. The marchers, led by former President Corazon Aquino and Vice President Noli de Castro, were forced to march to the Senate in batches of 500.
"Sayang (What a pity). We only wanted the senators to realize that thousands of people came. We hoped they would allow everyone to come here so we can show them how many of us are here praying for them," Aquino said, adding:
"We came here to pray that they would make good their promise and their duty to come out with the truth."
But de Castro said what happened was "good enough." Despite their failure to march around the Senate, she said, they were able to relay the message that the majority of Filipinos wanted the truth to come out.
"We want President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to know that we came here hoping and praying that the truth shall prevail," she said.
March negotiators led by former Defense Secretary Renato de Villa, Fr. Robert Reyes, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez and Laguna Gov. Teresita Lazaro complained that police had belatedly tried to change the agreement that they would be allowed to march around the Senate building.
They said the agreement was reached in three days of negotiations with authorities.
The marchers were allowed to go past four police barricades after "tense negotiations."
They thus failed to implement their plan to form a chain of 25 people marching abreast and surround the Senate building.
Earlier in the day, Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales called on the President to testify at the impeachment trial.
Sin also told Mrs. Arroyo not to be afraid to resign--a message that Aquino also aired.
10 abreast
Bearing the "torch of truth," the Jericho marchers--belonging to the Kongreso ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kompil) II, Makati Business Club, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines--were made to march 10 abreast so they would occupy only one lane of the street leading to the Senate.
They were allowed only up to the front of the Senate grounds. Then they made a U-turn, exiting through the parking lot, to allow another batch to come in.
Tension arose when police allowed pro-Arroyo demonstrators numbering about 10,000 into the Senate grounds even before the last of the Jericho marchers came up to the space fronting the Senate, Reyes said.
Chief Supt. Edgardo Aglipay, director of the National Capital Region Police Office, said Pimentel had issued an order to clear the grounds, specifically the space directly in front of the Senate, to make way for whatever "untoward incident" that might occur inside the building.
"If we allow the marchers to occupy the front and something happened inside, the cars of the senators, the Chief Justice, the defense panel, the prosecutors and other personalities cannot easily get through," Aglipay stressed.
Asked whether police had received reports that such an untoward incident would occur, he said: "We prepared for the worst. No one can tell what’s going to happen inside."
Aglipay also said Pimentel was worried that the Jericho marchers would "upset" the impeachment trial because of the planned 5-minute noise barrage in front of the building.
He said Pimentel had ordered that only 500 Jericho marchers be allowed in front of the Senate because this was the same number allowed the pro-Estrada demonstrators.
‘Rich,’ ‘poor’
At around 2:45 p.m., the second batch of marchers were allowed to follow the first at the side of the Senate.
As if on cue, the pro-Estrada demonstrators claimed that they were being set aside in favor of the rich when the two batches, or about 1,000 marchers, led by Aquino and de Castro were allowed in.
"It’s not because a general (De Villa) is negotiating for them to come in, the police will already allow them in. It’s not because they’re rich--Cory, Noli and the people from Makati--and we’re poor, that we will just be shunted aside," Rey Guillermo, chair of the pro-Estrada group Kasambayan, told Aglipay in Taglish.
The 500 pro-Arroyo demonstrators occupied the space between the front yard of the Senate and the parking lot.
About 80 policewomen bearing shields were tapped to bar the marchers in front of the Senate. But 180 policemen were also there as backup.
When negotiations were almost over and Senate Secretary General Lutgardo Barbo allowed the marchers to hold a few minutes of prayer in front of the Senate, tension arose again when Senators Franklin Drilon and Teofisto Guingona went outside the building to join the marchers.
Pangasinan Rep. Hernani Braganza also joined the marchers.
The pro-Estrada demonstrators booed the two senators, Aquino and Macapagal and chanted: "Gloria pa rin, Gloria pa rin!"
The Jericho marchers, on the other hand, complained that the pro-Estrada camp pelted them with stones.
Police set up a human shield to separate the two camps.
Noise barrage
For five minutes, the Jericho marchers held a noise barrage and blew on rams’ horns. They also recited special petitions for the senators to "see the truth."
Heated negotiations then ensued when Lina insisted that the marchers be allowed to go around the Senate and exit at the back.
Police blocked their way and directed them to the parking lot.
When Aglipay saw a space in the barricade that would allow at least three people to pass through, he collared a policeman and dragged him to the space.
The policeman was stunned.
At 4 p.m., former housing chief Karina Constantino-David demanded from police negotiators why they were not being allowed to get past the barricade.
She was given the cold shoulder.
David and her husband, University of the Philippines professor Randy David, were with a group waiting at the Film Center.
"Only one percent of the 80,000 people were held up here," Randy David said. "If we were allowed to join the first two waves, by this time the Jericho March would have been over."
But around 5 p.m., even before the last of the batches of the Jericho marchers were allowed in front of the Senate, the police let in the rest of the pro-Estrada group.
This group occupied the Senate grounds, making the last of the 5,000 marchers belonging to Bayan and KMU wait up to 7 p.m. at the Film Center.
The Bayan-KMU delegation decided to proceed to the Penguin Cafe in Malate, where an anti-Estrada concert will be held.
Most of the marchers stayed at the adjacent lot of the El Shaddai grounds to hold a vigil. A Mass is to be celebrated at dawn today.
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