He said that although the rallies are not yet that well attended, his group is confident that the critical mass is already there, just awaiting a “triggering event.”
“There are various levels how people see the current situation, hence, the different levels of participation. But some things are very easy for the masses to understand. We saw this in the ouster of former President Joseph Estrada, where people did not pour onto the streets until they saw how the allies of the former President manipulated the Senate investigation,” Ramada said.
Ramada said that the protesters are counting on the members of the religious sector to join, even if the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) did not call for Arroyo’s resignation.
Instead, the CBCP asked President Arroyo to lead the fight against corruption, and to lift Executive Order 464, which prevents government officials from testifying before legislative inquiries.
“There are a lot of religious outside the influence of the Diocese, who have signified their strong support,” Ramada said.
Ramada also said that ZTE scandal whistleblowers, Rodolfo Lozada Jr., and Joey De Venecia III, will be in Davao in the first week of March, when he expects more protests to swell.
After her arrival at the Davao International Airport (DIA), Arroyo proceeded to inaugurate a new building at the Sirawan Beach Elementary School, showed up at the gathering of the Matina Women’s Development Forum at Buffet Palace Restaurant, dropped by to see the ongoing repairs of the Governor Generoso Bridge 1 in Bankerohan, before proceeding to the Grand Regal Hotel where the town mayors prepared their manifesto of support.
But Davao city mayor Rodrigo Duterte, an Arroyo ally, was conspicuously absent during the visit. Patricia Milessa Ruivivar, City Hall chief of staff, explained that the mayor was on leave for health reasons from February 20 to March 5; and that his daughter, vice mayor Sara Duterte, was in Cebu to attend a gathering for the National Movement for Young Legislators, where she serves as secretary.
At the Bankerohan bridge, about 200 people braved the drizzle, waiting for over an hour for the President’s arrival, but the President stayed for only about five minutes.
One of the posts of the 57-year-old bridge collapsed in April 12 last year but Arroyo kept referring to the bridge to have been damaged by a storm. “That’s why we have to repair it,” she said.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) set the completion of the 206.6-million bridge on August 10, this year. (Cheryll Fiel and Marilou Aguirre/davaotoday.com)
