GMA: Desperately clinging to power
"Like a monitor lizard's refusal to be pulled out of its burrow" was how Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal described Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's tenacity and desperation to cling to power in the face of the widespread and growing call for her ouster.
In an interview with Ang Bayan, Ka Roger assailed the Marcosian dispersal of protest actions pushing for the truth to be brought out regarding the multi-million peso "Jose Pidal" deposits and calling for Arroyo's ouster from Malaca�ang.
There is an ongoing senate investigation of the case involving Gloria's husband Miguel Arroyo, who is suspected of having used the name "Jose Pidal" to hide the millions plundered by the Arroyo couple from corrupt practices and from contributions in previous elections. Two weeks after Sen. Panfilo Lacson exposed the case, Miguel Arroyo�s brother Ignacio came out in public, claiming he was "Jose Pidal" to cover up for his brother.
"Gloria's knees tremble at the sound of people marching and out of fear that the anti-corruption movement will lead to a gigantic uprising to oust her from power." Ka Roger said that the "minimum tolerance" policy of not giving vent to any demonstration is now being implemented. The police also plan to use rubber bullets against the demonstrators, according to Gen. Ricardo de Leon of the PNP Community Relations Office. "The police's unrestrained use of truncheons against demonstrators is on Malaca�ang's direct orders," said Ka Roger. In the past few days, almost all rallies in Makati and Manila were brutally dispersed by the police, injuring many demonstrators.
"Arroyo is mistaken in assuming that the harsh repression of demonstrations will stop the anti-corruption movement from growing stronger and more widespread. The people's determination to oust Arroyo from power will intensify as she steps up the repression of the people's democratic rights to assembly and free expression," said Ka Roger.
He also assailed Arroyo's measures and maneuvers to muzzle the investigation being conducted on the corruption cases involving the First Couple. In the previous week, some senators disclosed that they were being pressured by Malaca�ang to stop their investigation of the "Jose Pidal" case. The senators, however, are resisting such pressure from Malaca�ang in the face of an even stronger call to continue the investigation and the people's desire to know the truth regarding the "Jose Pidal" issue.
Prior to this, Ignacio Arroyo had asserted his right to "privacy". Since it was so apparent to everyone who Ignacio Arroyo was covering up for, it has all the more become obvious that Mike Arroyo, his wife and brother were concealing many anomalies.
Meanwhile, Gloria Arroyo is scrambling to secure the US' support and preparing an extravagant welcome for US President George W. Bush's visit on October 18. Arroyo has once again prominently displayed her shameless puppetry to the US and her blind support for US aggression in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as for deepening and broadening US armed intervention in the Philippines.
According to Ka Roger, Arroyo would like to use Bush's forthcoming visit get his blessing for maintaining herself in power and to firm up her plan to run in the forthcoming election. "Arroyo wants to show Bush that of all the puppets of US imperialism, she is still the one most worthy of US imperialist support."
| 
