GLORIAGATE Roundup for July 02, 2005

Headline news:

- Survey says: 59% think Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Cheated

- Sorry is not enough, says Archbishop Rosales; Manila prelate says GMA must account for actions

- Senator calls on PNP men to stand up to corrupt brass

Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday called on “decent members” of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to consider “leadership by example” in standing up to their corrupt superiors particularly those who have embraced the “politics of jueteng.”

“It is time we call on decent and well-intentioned police officers to stand up against the politics of jueteng. Let us not allow it to wreck the collective dignity of the PNP,” he said.

Lacson said the principle of leadership by example does not apply to police commanders who have embraced the politics of jueteng in jueteng-rich provinces.

“I know there are many decent members of the PNP. Let us fight the politics of jueteng. Even if you see your superiors being corrupted, you should know right from wrong and you should not follow their example,” Lacson said in an interview over dzRH radio.

- ‘Gloria has lost all legal, moral authority’—bishops

President Arroyo's key support base, the local Catholic Church, was seen as seriously cracking with at least three bishops publicly joining quit calls yesterday, demanding her resignation, saying she has lost all legal and moral authority to govern.

Bishops Julio Xavier Labayen, Antonio Tobias and Deogracias Iñiquez, led the call from the Catholic Church hierarchy for the President's resignation, pointing out it is evident there were manipulations of the electoral results, owing to her earlier admission that she had spoken with a poll commissioner during the election period.

- Gloria nauubos na ang kakampi

- Protest rallies gather strength

- 5 milyong tao ikakasa vs Gloria

- Malaya's editorial today mentions CODE NGO and Bill Luz:

By this measure, the group Code-NGO should be in good company with members of Gloria’s original party Kampi (Kabalikat ng Magnanakaw na Pilipino; oops, that should be Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino) whose faces were fixtures in Malacañang during Erap’s time.

Code-NGO pocketed P1.4 billion from the P10 billion zero coupon Peace bonds. Now its leaders are loudly calling for the setting up of a Truth Commission. Is there no longer honor among thieves? But what could one expect? Even Bill Luz, the executive director of Namfrel (described by "Garci" to that woman on the tapes as "kakampi na natin) has joined the "Truth Commission now" call.

The suspicion, of course, is that Code-NGO and the Bill Luzes of the Makati Business Club are just stalking horses of Gloria. But not all members of the Civil Society that supported Gloria are opportunists. The proposed Truth Commission might yet turn into an Agrava.