Charges filed vs GMA hecklers

Charges of violating a city ordinance on peaceful assembly were slapped yesterday against the three people who heckled President Arroyo at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) the other day.

A bond of P100 each was recommended by the Manila City prosecutor’s office for the release of Oyo Agustin, 18, of Pasig City and Mark Siguerza, 19, of Quezon City, both students of the Mapua Institute of Technology and members of Anak Bayan as well as Eliseo Estropigan, 42 an electrician at the PGH and the treasurer of the All UP-PGH Worker’s Union.

The Manila Police District had initially planned to charge the three with "inciting to sedition."

The President had just attended the inauguration of the Sentro Oftalmologico Jose Rizal, an eye center, inside the PGH compound when she was heckled by the activists.

The union said it might sue the Manila Police District for illegal arrest and harassment.

According to union president Buboy Cabrera, the activists were only voicing out their legitimate concerns like the increase of salaries and the PGH budget.

"It was just an avenue to let her know the plights of the PGH workers and its patients. We have long been demanding for a P3,000 across-the-board increase in our salary, but nothing has happened," he said.

Cabrera maintained that their concerns were legitimate.

"The police claimed that some people shouted ‘Pabagsakin si Gloria.’ If that is true, those people were not from our ranks. Maybe they were among the patients who wanted to improve the health services in our country," he told The STAR.

Cabrera added that it was illegal for the police to make such an arrest inside the UP-PGH compound because of an existing agreement between the UP System and the Department of National Defense.

Meanwhile, allies of Mrs. Arroyo in Congress deplored the heckling, saying the student activists abused their freedom of expression to embarrass the highest official of the land.

Malabon-Navotas Rep. Federico Sandoval and Bulacan Rep. Lorna Silverio said the President did not deserve to be mocked while appearing as a guest of honor.

"As highest official of the land and guest of honor, she deserves basic courtesy and proper treatment. We don’t invite guests to humiliate them," Sandoval said.

Silverio, chair of the committee on inter-parliamentary relations and diplomacy, said everyone should treat with respect the national leadership, "whoever is in power." – With Evelyn Macairan