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Philippine President Urges People Not to Join Mass Protests
Philippine President Joseph Estrada made a last-minute appeal to the Philippine people Saturday for them not to join rallies next week organized by groups seeking his early ouster.
Speaking on his weekly radio-TV program, President Estrada said sobriety, not emotionalism, is needed to ride out the present political crisis.
"Amid the crisis in our country, we must remain sober. We must not get carried away by the emotionalism of some groups out to destabilize my administration," he said.
The crisis stemmed from allegations by a provincial governor that the president received more than US$11 million in illegal gambling payoffs and tobacco tax kickbacks in nearly two years in the past.
Estrada, who has denied the charges and rejected calls for his resignation, is facing an impeachment trial, which is scheduled to start early next month. The president will be removed from office if at least two thirds of the 22-member Senate vote to convict him.
Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre said Saturday that authorities will exercise maximum tolerance towards next week's mass actions.
"We will do our best so long as organizers will coordinate with the police," he said.
Aquirre also hoped the opposition led by Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would make sure that the mass actions are peaceful.
"I believe the opposition will not do that. They know their actions will hurt not only the president but the people as well," he said.
However, he said, if the rallyists use violence in pushing for their cause, the police would not hesitate to arrest them.
Policemen from various districts in Metro Manila conducted their final practice Saturday morning to cope with the upcoming mass actions.
Edgar Aglipay, police chief of the capital region, said lawmen in Metro Manila are prepared for whatever eventualities during the planned four days of demonstrations and prayer vigils next week.
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