Arroyo does not buy the washing of hands

MANILA: On Tuesday, just hours after President Macapagal- Arroyo declared that a plot to topple her government had been nipped in the bud, a giant mob was battering the gates of Malacaqang and threatening to grab the seat of power. Tens of thousands of supporters of deposed President Joseph Estrada who had peacefully held a non-stop rally at the Edsa Shrine for five days marched early Tuesday morning to Malacaqang in a bid to restore to power their leader who is facing 13 criminal charges ranging from perjury to plunder.

At mid-morning, a combined force of truncheon-wielding anti- riot police and heavily armed military troopers moved to drive them away from the Palace premises. The mob fought back with sticks and stones, but by noon government forces had taken back all roads leading to the Palace.

When the smoke cleared, three persons were dead and scores were wounded on both sides. The orgy of violence also saw several stores being looted, many windows broken and several vehicles battered and burned. At least 50 demonstrators were arrested in the course of the violent dispersal -- all of them unknown.

In fact, none of the prominent political personalities believed to have organized, financed or encouraged the pro- Estrada demonstrations was seen at Mendiola or J.P. Laurel Street when violence erupted. It was Estrada's loyal mass who took the fight to the Palace gates, it was the same mass that bore the brunt of government's counteraction. Now they will have to answer for the violence, the vandalism, the arson and the looting.

It must be a bitter irony for the poor who marched and fought for their idol that after allowing themselves to be used for an unworthy cause, like frustrating the administration of justice, they are now being disowned by their manipulators.

Everyone in the Estrada camp who has spoken about Tuesday's tragedy now lays the blame exclusively on their shoulders. Estrada's son, JV Ejercito, explained that no one could hold back his father's supporters from marching to Malacaqang, or words to that effect. Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile said he warned the pro- Estrada demonstrators on Monday against going to Malacaqang precisely to head off a bloody confrontation with government forces. In other words, the poor are solely to blame for the violence, death and destruction that happened on Tuesday.

And yet Enrile was caught on TV Monday night taunting the administration to carry out its threat to disperse the demonstrators at Edsa so that they would be forced to march to Malacaqang. In fact, Enrile was among the five opposition leaders -- the others are Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Gregorio Honasan, senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson and former Ambassador Ernesto Maceda -- who plotted to seize power, according to a confidential report given to Ms Macapagal. Santiago was also heard several times agitating the Edsa crowd to do something more drastic. On the eve of the attack on Malacaqang, Santiago urged the demonstrators to march to the Palace, saying they should no longer wait for the police and the military to throw in their support. Honasan was said to have been the most emphatic in arguing that the crowd be stirred up to march last Sunday night. But now that blood is on their hands, they are first to disclaim any responsibility for setting the mob off on a violent rampage.

The administration is buying none of their denials, of course. The President has declared a state of rebellion and ordered the arrest of these agitators as well as police and military officers suspected of participating in the plot to overthrow her government.

"The vandalism, robbery and injury and deaths are the work of these politicians," Ms Macapagal said. "They should be blamed for all this. They will be made to answer for these crimes," she promised.

It's about time too. These officials, particularly the three senators, have already gotten away with so many crimes against the people. Enrile has gotten away with stealing the electionsfor Ferdinand Marcos in 1985 and for himself in 1995. He and Honasan were never made to answer for their involvement in several coup attempts against then President Corazon Aquino. Enrile, Honasan and Santiago were also among the 11 senators who voted to block the introduction of vital evidence against Estrada, a gross betrayal of the public interest.

It would be another travesty of justice if the 50 or so demonstrators now in police hands would be jailed for what they did on Tuesday while these officials who instigated them to act against the government go unpunished. The administration should show firmness and decisiveness in dealing with treason or it will find itself being threatened with a coup from time to time, like the Aquino administration.

-- Philippine Daily Inquirer/Asia News Network