4 killed as Estrada supporters assault Palace

As the nation slept, an angry mob, all of them supporters of jailed former President Joseph Estrada, stormed Malacañang before dawn yesterday, coming to a stop a breath away from the Office of the President.

But President Arroyo survived the assault on her office and her life, vowing that if there is another attempt to seize the Palace, "We will crush it again. We must never let our guard down."

One policeman and three supporters of Estrada were killed while 39 others were injured in the day-long battle to save Malacañang, with Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Diomedio Villanueva declaring, "They cannot take Malacañang. It will be over our dead bodies."

More than a hundred loyalists were arrested by police and are set to be charged with sedition while key opposition figures were ordered arrested for inciting the loyalists to attack Malacañang.

The 20,000 Estrada loyalists, who had been participating in an anti-government rally at the EDSA Shrine since Wednesday last week, marched to Malacañang Palace at around 2 a.m.

The Estrada supporters overcame a police barricade in front of the Greenhills Shopping Center along Ortigas Avenue in San Juan.

At about 3:25 a.m., the loyalists overcame another police barricade located at Santol street and Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard in Sta. Mesa, Manila and carted off police anti-riot gear despite the tear gas policemen released.

A sudden surge of loyalists forced police to retreat toward the blockade at J. P. Laurel and Legarda streets.

At about 3:40 a.m., the mob overpowered the blockade and marched toward Malacañang’s Gate No. 3. Twenty minutes later, the mob separated into two with one group proceeding to Malacañang’s main Gate No. 7 at J.P. Laurel and Mendiola streets.

At about 4:20 a.m., the 2,000-man team of police, Army and Navy men, assisted by eight fire trucks, tried to disperse the crowd at Mendiola but only managed to push back the crowd by a few meters by 6 a.m.

There was a standoff between loyalist and police until 10:15 a.m. during which the loyalist mob reached Arlegui street but when reinforcements to government forces finally arrived, the composite crowd control unit prepared to launch another dispersal push.

The dispersal team, composed of Army soldiers, Navy men and policemen formed tight phalanx that faced the rallyist at J. P. Laurel, Mendiola, Arlegui and Legarda streets.

Armed with truncheons, guns and tear gas, the dispersal team started its assault with anti-riot geared troopers slowly pushing forward followed by policemen firing rounds in the air.

But the loyalist mob fought back by throwing rocks, clubs and bottles at the dispersal team as they moved back. The withdrawing loyalists set on fire a private car parked in front of San Beda College.

The loyalists also overran the police sub-station near Mendiola Bridge and tried to burn down the station as reporters and policemen stayed trapped inside.

"They overran the sub-station. I thought it was the end of all of us. They doused the station with gasoline and threatened to set on fire. Fortunately, other policemen were quick to respond and rescue us," said journalist Jerome Aning who was trapped inside the station.

As one group attacked the station, another group of rallyists overturned a parked police car and set it ablaze. Other loyalists robbed and then burned the pick-up trucks of television networks ABS-CBN-2 and ABC-5.

The mob also set a back hoe at the corner of Mendiola and Legarda streets on fire and threw rocks at the dispersal team which separated into two teams and continued to pursue the loyalists down Claro M. Recto Avenue.

The loyalists also torched a firetruck and a police motorcycle at the corner of Recto Avenue and Morayta street while others stoned shop windows as they fell back toward Rizal Avenue in Sta. Cruz district.

By 11:30 a.m., the dispersal team had broken up the mob and arrested about 103 loyalists who will be charged with sedition.

"It was a very long day but I am happy that it is now all over," said Chief Superintendent Florencio Fianza, who headed the dispersal operation.

Villanueva assured the public the government is "fully in control" of the situation although it is also closely monitoring reports of armed groups out to escalate the violence.

"We can assure the public is safe and President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo is fully in control," Villanueva said, vowing to secure Malacañang from further attack.

Disperse loyalists, CBCP urges Estrada

Meanwhile, Cotabato Archbishop and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Orlando Quevedo appealed to Estrada to advise his loyalists to disperse and stop violence.

"For the sake of the good of the entire country, the good of the poor and the rich, the good of Muslims, Christians, and other faiths – the good of all, I appeal to you, to your sense of moral value and your conscience before God, to desist from your destructive course," Quevedo said.

He urged the jailed former president to guide his followers away from the advocacy of immorality in public office and toward moral truth and justice.

But while Estrada expressed sadness at the turn of events around the Palace, the former president refused to ask his supporters to voluntarily disperse and await trial.

Estrada’s son by former actress Guia Gomez was also unwilling to take responsibility for the disturbance and claimed he had tried to prevent the crowd from marching on Malacañang.

Former Philippine National Police chief Panfilo Lacson, for his part, called on Estrada supporters "go back to their homes and extinguish the hatred that resides in their hearts."

"I am now calling for sobriety among the supporters of former President Joseph Estrada and I am now asking them to go back to their homes and extinguish the hatred that resides in their hearts. I know how you feel but violence will never see you through in your quest for justice," Lacson said.

Lacson also said he would question the arrest order the Department of Justice (DOJ) as well as the issuance of a hold-departure order although no charge has been filed against him.

Lacson has also offered legal and medical assistance to those injured or killed in the dispersal operation.

Opposition leader Edgardo Angara has also formed a support group that is now giving financial, medical, legal and other forms of assistance to the casualties of the dispersal operation.

The support group has a secretariat, led by lawyer Demaree Raval, which can help trace the whereabouts of missing Estrada loyalists.

"Much of my activity now revolve around helping those dislocated by the violent dispersal of the protesters," Angara said.

Opposition senatorial bet Ricardo Puno, on the other hand, urged the government to meet halfway with the opposition to restore order.

Puno expressed hope that the government would be open to a dialogue with Estrada loyalists to finally resolve their differences peacefully, saying that he and other opposition leaders would be willing to act as mediators.

Angara, Lacson and Puno are all senatorial candidates of the pro-Estrada coalition Lakas ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Puwersa ng Masa (LDP-PnM) which denied reports that the opposition was divided in discouraging Estrada loyalists to attack Malacañang.

"We would like to make it clear that all the senatorial candidates of the LDP-PnM were one in appealing for calm and sobriety among the supporters of (former) President Joseph Estrada," the coalition said in a statement.

But the ruling Lakas-NUCD denounced the opposition for their hand in allegedly inciting Estrada loyalists to attack Malacañang, according to Lakas-NUCD executive director Joey Rufino. — With Edith Regalado, Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu, Mayen Jaymalin, Ella Oducayen, Nikko Dizon, Sandy Araneta, Non Aquitran, Paolo Romero, Marvin Sy