Kamay na Bakal

Bakbakan sa kalye --- Unang lumasap ng bagong anti-rally policy na ‘calibrated preemptive response’ (CPR) ang mga miyembro ng Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokratiko (KPD). Matapos manlaban sa puwersahang pagbuwag sa kanilang hanay, pinagdadampot ng Manila Police District (MPD) cops ang mga rallyista bilang istriktong pagpapatupad ng ‘no permit, no rally’. (Carlito Arenas)

- 13 Mendiola Protestors arrested

THE Manila Police District yesterday gave a sample of the government’s "calibrated pre-emptive response" by arresting 13 officers and members of the Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya (KPD) during a lightning rally of about 50 students, workers and leftist groups in Mendiola.

Arrested were KPD chairman Pedro Pinlac, secretary general Carmelita Merante, and members Jess del Prado, Lilia dela Cruz, Restita Ramos, Michael Cadalio, Adelaida Ramos, Marie de Ocampo, Rhedo Cansancio, Mary Grace Gonzales, Tricia May Banua, Jenalyn Lontong, and Erwin Bautista.

Pinlac said their protest sought to dramatize their opposition to the planned amendments of the Constitution and to challenge the government’s "no permit, no rally" policy.

The group gathered along Recto avenue at around 10 a.m then marched to Mendiola where they were blocked by anti-riot policemen from the NCRPO.

Arrests were made when the protesters refused to disperse.

"We’re just imposing the law," said Chief Supt. Pedro Bulaong, MPD police chief. "These people just wanted to test us. They are provoking violence."

Those arrested will be charged with illegal assembly.

- Commission on Human Rights boss susunod na sisibakin?

Pinangangambahang sumunod sa yapak ni Department of Education (DepEd) Undersec. Juan Miguel Luz si Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Commissioner Wilhelm Soriano na sinulatan ng ‘goodbye’ o ‘thank you letter’ ng Malacañang dahil ‘nalilihis ito ng landas’.

Kahapon ay muling sinuwag ni Soriano ang ‘kamay na bakal’ na pinaiiral ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo laban sa mga rallies sa mga lansangan nang deretsahan nitong sabihin na hindi makatwiran at lalong hindi makatao ang ipinatutupad na ‘no permit, no rally’ policy at mga pag-aresto sa mga demonstrador na mapayapang nagpapahayag ng kanilang sentimiyento laban sa pamahalaang Arroyo.

Kasabay nito, binigyan-diin ni Soriano na ang alinmang lugar na itinuturing na isang ‘public venue’ ay hindi kailangang ihingi ng ‘permit’ ng mga rallyista para sila makapagtipon doon.

Hindi ito ang kauna-unahang pagkakataong nagpahiwatig ng pagkontra si Soriano sa mga mapanggipit na polisiya ng pamahalaang Arroyo. Nang unang ilutang ng Pangulo ang pag-alis sa maximum tolerance policy para ipalit ang ‘rule of calibrated preemptive response’ (CPR), mabilis na nagbabala ang CHR na babantayan nila ang posibleng pag-abuso ng pulisya sa karapatan ng mga rallyista gamit ang bagong polisiya.

- Ducky Paredes says we are moving into a dangerous phase.

- Mother of all Pork? More bayaran in the works for loyal local officials?

Opposition: Pork barrel ni GMA nakakalula

GMA: P47B pork best medicine to "heal" Edsa wounds

OTOH, anti-GMA mayors like Binay won't see any bling bling in Makati's budget, if GMA gets her way.

- Hypocrisy exposed again:

As an aside, with all of Gloria's talk of a calibrated preemptive response, along with the “no-permit, no-rally” policy, why aren't those paid rallyists at the Heart Center in support of National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales being dispersed, or even threatened with the preemptive strike policy? And why aren't the businessmen and bishops bitching about this pro-Palace rally? Is it because this is a pro-administration rally?

Even more stupid are the claims of some pro-administration local executives who offer Makati businessmen their cities that they claim are “rally-free” along with businessmen who come up with the dare they would seek other places to do business in.

It is stupid, even from the point of view of business to dare a transfer of business address due to these claimed “disruptive to business” rallies, or for administration mayors to offer their cities as the new business site because there can never be guarantees given for a rally-free city since another election, say in 2007, may find the pro-Gloria mayors out of office and power.

But even as business and the bishops support Gloria's iron- fist policy on the constitutional rights of the people to speak freely and peaceably assemble for redress of grievances, there was Gloria's aide, admitting that which the Palace was studying and preparing for, was emergency rule which would allow Gloria Arroyo to take over or direct the operations of any privately owned public utility or business affected with public interest, which in the case of the Gloria regime, is taken in too broad a “public interest” term, being equated with her political survival.

Who then is scaring away business and investors? The anti-Gloria forces who have been peacefully holding rallies in the business center or Malacañang itself, with its admission of studying emergency rule with the intent of taking over private business?

And don't these same businessmen and bishops who came out in full support of Gloria's “calibrated response” to rallies look utterly stupid in the face of their opposition to emergency rule and the takeover of private business while plugging for Gloria's curtailment of constitutional liberties?

That move, too, should be seen by Gloria's bishop and businessmen puppies as yet another form of calibrated response. Shouldn't they then support and encourage this move? And will there be the same pro-Gloria mayors who can invite investors and other local businessmen to transfer to their cities, and claim they can guarantee a “no-takeover” of their business tinged with public interest under emergency rule?

But for these same idiotic puppies, it is alright to discard the freedoms of a people enshrined in the bill of rights by the fascist Gloria Arroyo because this will not disrupt business, but not that right in the Constitution for that same fascist President to declare emergency rule that will grant her the power to take over private business.

And don't they look utterly stupid objecting to emergency rule and takeover of their businesses by the same government they support in her preemptive response?

What this all shows is that these same bishops and businessmen — who support Gloria's iron-fist rule when it comes to gagging the Filipino people and stripping them of their inalienable rights by way of peaceful assemblies but oppose emergency rule and government takeovers of their businesses — are a selfish lot. It is only their interests they want to protect, not the Filipino people who are part of their flock and their consumers.

And they dare to lecture the Filipino people about abuse of constitutional rights!

- After being fired by the Arroyo admin for being "uncooperative," DepEd USEC vows to go down fighting.