Arroyo does not buy the washing of hands

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