Opposition groups to hold large protest, Arroyo to break silence

Opposition groups to hold large protest, Arroyo to break silence

Leftist activists, church-backed groups and opposition leaders
said on Monday they would clog the Philippine capital with
thousands of protesters later this week to raise pressure on
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to break her silence on poll
fraud allegations.

Arroyo, whose ratings are at record lows, has declined to say
whether it is her voice on recordings of a telephone conversation
which the opposition says bolsters its claims she cheated her way
to victory in last year's elections.

In Hong Kong, Arroyo addressed the topic for the first time in
two weeks, saying she "will make the appropriate statements on
the issues at the appropriate time."

The scandal, which follows allegations Arroyo's family members
took illegal gambling payoffs, has sparked rumors of coup
attempts and mass protests that have unnerved investors and
helped to send the peso to a five-month low against the dollar.

"Her continuing silence is igniting protest all over the
country," Roman Catholic priest Joe Dizon told reporters, adding
that protesters would hear Catholic mass before marching to a
park in Manila for a rally on Friday.

About 30 Filipino migrant workers protested in Hong Kong on
Monday, criticizing Arroyo for failing to answer the accusations.

"We have the right to know! She deserves to be ousted," said
Eman Villanueva of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong, which
organized the protest.

Arroyo's spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, has invoked national
security concerns to defend Arroyo's silence and has also said
she will not testify at congressional inquiries into the
recording that are due to start on Tuesday.

Political parties opposed to Arroyo (photo right) have also
promised to join the protest. "We will come out in huge numbers
to compel Arroyo to speak up," said Renato Reyes, a leader of
Leftist group Bayan.

On Tuesday, lawmakers from the lower chamber of Congress are
due to begin inquiries into the recording, which the government
says was doctored as a plot by the opposition.

A separate investigation into an illegal numbers game called
jueteng, including allegations her husband, son, and brother-in-
law benefited from the game, is due to resume on Friday in the
Senate.

Last week, the Philippine military lifted a seven-day security
alert after anti-Arroyo protests planned for the country's
independence day on June 12 fizzled out.

Many analysts doubt the scandals will be enough to whip up the
same kind of anger that led to the 2001 ouster of Arroyo's
predecessor Joseph Estrada in huge "People Power" protests.

The opposition has consistently accused Arroyo of cheating her
way to victory in last year's election. The final count by
Congress gave Arroyo a winning margin of just over 1 million
votes over her closest rival, Fernando Poe Jr, an action movie
hero who died in December. -- Reuters