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