'They had it coming' Cops provoked to fire water cannons—Palace

[IndianaGreen]

Another chapter in the bloody history of Filipino President Arroyo:

'They had it coming'
Cops provoked to fire water cannons—Palace, PNP

First posted 00:51am (Mla time) Oct 16, 2005
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Armand N. Nocum, Tina G. Santos
Inquirer News Service

Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the October 16, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THEY had it coming.

This was the reaction of Malacañang, a senior Cabinet official and the Manila police yesterday to criticisms against the use of water cannons to mow down hundreds of protesters, led by former Vice President Teofisto Guingona and three Roman Catholic bishops, as they marched peacefully toward the Palace Friday night.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the incident could have been avoided if the marchers had held their protest elsewhere. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and administration lawmakers accused the protesters of using religion to disguise their political intentions.

<snip>

The latest of a series of confrontations between the police and demonstrators demanding the resignation of President Macapagal-Arroyo occurred near the Mendiola (now Don Chino Roces) Bridge during a march billed by organizers as a religious procession. The marchers had with them statues of the Virgin Mary and were praying the rosary instead of chanting anti-Arroyo slogans.

Local officials have declared Mendiola-historically the site of protests against presidents-off-limits to demonstrators. Bunye stressed that Malacañang was not out to muzzle its critics.

http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=53484

[cwydro]

1. Hey, those guys will fit right in

if they wanna move to New Orleans...

[struggle4progress]

2. Fight between Arroyo and Church looms, says bishop

DRENCHED to the skin last Friday, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona still lets out a handful of fiery words directed at the Arroyo administration.

Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Oct. 17, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer


A BISHOP drenched with a water cannon last Friday said the police dispersal of a religious procession was likely to unify prelates in what he described yesterday as a looming battle between the Holy Spirit and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

But Malacañang remained adamant it had nothing to apologize for in Friday's dispersal near Mendiola when a fire truck sprayed jets of water on protesters, including former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Senator Jamby Madrigal, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Satur Ocampo, bishops and priests. No serious injuries were reported.

The protesters threatened to bring the case to the attention of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which recently brought into its fold Libya, regarded by critics as one of the world's repressive regimes. <snip>

http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=53581