Thousands attend but… Freedom marchers a ‘hakot’ crowd?

CEBU, Philippines - While an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people turned up for the “Freedom March” in support of suspended Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, her opponents were quick to call it a predominantly “hakot” crowd.

The marchers assembled at Fuente Osmeña Circle where a Mass was celebrated at 2:30 p.m.  After the Mass, the group marched up to the Capitol where the rally continued peacefully at around 4 p.m.

Although they are not voters of the Province of Cebu, majority of the participants were residents of Cebu City who expressed support to Garcia after having benefited from some of the programs and assistance from the provincial government.

Some participants came from the towns of San Fernando, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal, Liloan, and the cities of Naga, Carcar and Toledo.

In Naga City and Minglanilla town, some policemen reportedly flagged down buses for transporting supporters going to the Capitol.

Moalboal Mayor Inocentes Cabaron told the office of Garcia that some people from the three buses held at Naga City took jeepneys in going to Cebu City to attend the rally.

The marchers, composed of people from the different sectors of the society, brought placards and streamers expressing support to Garcia and protest against Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Garbo.

Collin Rosell, head of Urban Poor organization in Cebu City who joined the march, said the activity was not necessarily in support of Garcia, but to peace itself.

“This rally is not necessarily pro-Gwen but we can’t deny na may gusto na di na lang usa disturbohon ang Kapitolyo kay panahon karon sa tingtrabaho. Ang mga tawo, wa na atimana. Asa na man sila paingon? Kay naglibog sila,” Rosell said.

If lifting Garcia’s suspension brings peace to the province of Cebu, so be it, Rosell said, saying that the governor’s suspension is a matter of fact, not something to be merry for.

“Naa pa gyu’y political maneuvering. We are victims of the ulterior motives of politics,” the Urban Poor leader added.

Hakot?

Police Regional Office director Marcelo Garbo Jr, in a separate interview, said the crowd was actually pitiful because they were being politically influenced.

“Kawawa lang sila. Klarong-klaro na hakot crowd,” Garbo said.

Still, Garbo tasked the Cebu City Police Office to deploy personnel to secure the march, which was found to have a permit from the local government.  Garbo earlier said he will stop the march if it has no permit.

Remedios Concija, 76, who belongs to the Senior Citizens Sector, said a neighbor just told her that they will be attending the rally with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, not knowing that they would be marching to the Capitol.

“Uy, di lang ko mumartsa kay sakit sa tuhod. Pero maayo man na si Gov. Gwen. Daghan ganing nanghilak didto sa bukid pagkahibaw,” said Concija, a resident of Barangay Carreta.

But Concija’s neighbor and fellow senior citizen, Betty Cuyos, 64, said had she known that the rally was for Garcia, she would have not gone to Fuente.

“Para iyaha diay ni? Muuli lang ko oy,” Cuyos said, although she still waited for the “arrival” of Rama.

Another circulating text reportedly claimed Team Rama promised rice for anyone who would join the march.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama denied allegations he ordered city hall employees to compulsorily attend the Freedom March yesterday in support of the governor.

Rama, however, said that if it is the employees’ will to show his or her support to the governor, there is nothing wrong since the activity was held on a Sunday and a holiday, which is not office hours.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young forwarded to the media yesterday a text from someone who claim to be a city hall employee, complaining about the compulsory attendance to the Freedom March from Fuente Rotunda to the Capitol.

The message sent to Young reads “Gud am, pakuyugon mi tanan sa rally sa capitol. Mag-check attendance daw, inform lang mi nimo.”

A text from the Mayor’s office reportedly circulated ordering employees to attend the rally to condemn the plan of Malacañang to suspend Rama next.

The message that reportedly came from the Office of the Mayor says, “Attendance is a must for all mayor’s staff to join the prayer rally at 2 p.m. today at Fuente to condemn the plan of Malacañang to suspend our city mayor next month.”

Rama denied he ordered a compulsory attendance to the rally since it is not a City Hall event.

Rama said he will wonder at all if a City Hall employee who is a 93-1 lot beneficiary will go to the Capitol to support the Governor.

Garcia earned support from the 93-1 beneficiaries because of the administration’s efforts to help the families own their lots despite many years of delinquency.

Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor Chief Collin Rosell admitted there were DWUP employees who joined the rally, but not because they were forced to attend.

He said they merely supporting the urban poor groups whom they have been helping in community organizing.

Rosell said the critics of the mayor, particularly the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, sees it as political because it is their own doings in the past.

Rosell said the use of the Urban Poor Office for political interests of a few was only a practice during the previous administration.

Gwen  Garcia’s daughter, lawyer Christina Garcia Frasco and husband, Liloan Mayor Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco joined the crowd and later delivered her speech at the audio-van.

Christina told the crowd that her mother as well as the entire family is sacrificing since the past few days in order to protect the mandate the Cebuano people have entrusted her not just once but thrice.

Also with the crowd were Alegria Mayor Emelita Guisadio, Boljoon Mayor Teresita Celis, Aloguinsan Mayor Augustus Caesar Moreno, Mayor Cabaron and his wife, Barangay Lahug Councilwoman Mary Ann delos Santos and Rene Bullecer.

Rep. Pablo John “PJ” Garcia also delivered a speech saying that the governor will not step down due to a questionable suspension order.

PJ urged the other camp to just wait for the election because he is sure they cannot win.

From a window, the governor saw her supporters and waved.

She left the Capitol Building and stood up on the table provided by policemen for logging-in purposes of visitors.

She explained that what she has been doing is not for herself but for the Cebuanos who gave her the mandate.

Supt. Leopoldo Cabanag said he was informed that an urban poor organization applied for the permit of the rally. 

After the rally, few Garcia’s supporters were able to enter the Capitol with Christina and Mayor Guisadio insisting the right of the people to peaceably assembly but the police still blocked some supporters.

Magpale

In a statement, acting Governor Agnes Magpale said that the right to peaceful assembly is alive and well in the Province of Cebu.

She, however, said this right is not without responsibility and she is saddened that groups with political interests are using this as a means to further their interest in continued defiance of a lawful order from a duly constituted authority.

“It is mob rule that these groups are trying to espouse which sadly does not reflect the sentiments of majority of the peace-loving and law abiding populace of the Province of Cebu. We find it disturbing that in this season of peace and harmony, followers of suspended governor Gwen Garcia are using her UNA allies and remnants of the Arroyo regime to try to agitate Cebuanos to take part in a politically motivated protest against a lawful order by the Office of the President,” Magpale said.

Magpale stressed that this is not a proxy war between Vice President Jejomar Binay and Secretary Mar Roxas as some quarters may want to make it appear.

She also said they are heartened that the Garcia‘s attempt to create trouble had largely been ignored by the politically mature citizens of one of the country’s most progressive provinces.

“Cebuanos regardless of their political leanings prefer a legal and peaceful solution to the problems created by Garcia and her UNA allies. In the spirit of the season, we continue to exercise maximum tolerance and pray for their enlightenment,” Magpale added.

LP statement

In statement, Liberal Party Cebu chairman Hilario P. Davide III said “the attempt by suspended Governor Gwen Garcia to create a disturbance to justify  her continued stay at the Capitol will fail.  We are informed that the offer bandied in the towns is P1,000 per leader,  and P500 per warm body.  This manufactured ‘sentiment’ of the people will not sell.”

“The suspension was issued as a penalty for her grave abuse of authority and ignoring the provisions of the Local Government Code.  When suspended Governor Garcia refused to pay the salaries of employees under the Legislative Branch, she not only trampled on legislative independence, but violated the law. When she refused to submit her contracts to the legislative branch for review and ratification, she not only debased the Board but violated the law.When she refused to accept the penalty, she not only violated her oath of office, but insisted that the Garcias are above the law. It is this belligerent and arrogant defiance of the law that caused the suspension,” the statement further read.

In a separate statement, the LP also answered the statement of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“The Liberal Party respects the rule of law. The Liberal Party respects the rule of law and will order all its members to respect the TRO, if it will ever come. Until then, the Liberal Party will similarly respect the rule of law and not be fooled by the persons attempting to twist it.”

They called her continued defiance a “defiance of the rule of law. That is a violation of her Oath of Office to obey legal orders of the duly-constituted authorities no less than the Office of the President.”

They also said her continued stay in the Capitol is “running up the electricity bills and wasting the hard earned resources of the constituents of Cebu Province. She has had a catered noche buena in the comforts of her office with her family, her congressman-brother and her congressman-father, and their well-heeled society friends.”

As for Rep. Pabling Garcia, Congressman Pablo John Garcia and Atty. Christina Garcia Frasco, the LP asked them to “consider the situation at hand. You are all members of the bar, which Pabling and Pablo John have passed with distinction. You are all members of the bar, which Pabling has served with distinction. You are all members of the bar and you have sworn to uphold the rule of law. You know, with all your collective legal wisdom, that as a rule of law, a suspended governor must step down from her office even as she seeks her legal remedies, and especially in the absence of the TRO she seeks.”

The LP also applauded acting Governor Magpale, and encourages her to remain steadfast in the face of unwanted adversity.—/BRP (FREEMAN)