President Estrada ordered Education Secretary Andrew Gonzalez yesterday to prohibit teachers and school administrators from bringing elementary and high school children to opposition rallies disguised as prayer assemblies.
"Let us work and pray instead of holding rallies and demonstrations where they just waste their efforts, they just get rained on and bear the heat of the sun. Pity them who just get sick because of this, especially our poor children," Mr. Estrada said.
The President personally gave the instructions to Gonzalez during an inspection trip at the Coastal Plaza condominium, a low-cost government housing project for teachers, policemen and military personnel in Las Piñas.
The directive comes a day after Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin issued a pastoral letter calling for another "prayer rally" on Dec. 7 at the Malate Church, coinciding with the first day of Mr. Estrada’s impeachment trial at the Senate.
Youth organizations, however, lashed back at Malacañang yesterday for the order which they said sent "a bad signal."
According to DJ Janier, spokeswoman for the group Youth for Nationalism and Democracy, Mr. Estrada’s directive violated the students’ "freedom of expression."
"Malacañang is sending a bad signal. It is a form of repression that we can see from any dictatorial government. We strongly oppose this," she said in a telephone interview.
But citing reports and complaints by parents, the President told reporters that administrators and teachers of certain private and public schools allegedly impose compulsory attendance from students during these protest rallies.
"I pity them. So I have given instructions to Brother Andrew, our secretary of education, to prohibit the elementary and high school children from being taken to these rallies," the President said.
"Because of their innocence, at their young age they should not be dragged into politics. Have pity on them," he rued.
Mr. Estrada said he did not mind if Sin organized prayer rallies: "Perhaps, we really need to pray but I hope that they pray for unity of our people and this should not be mixed with politics."
The President also believed the prayer rally on Dec. 7 is unnecessary because with the impeachment trial under way, "the Constitutional process is already in place."
But for Sanlakas spokeswoman Page Reyes, the presidential appeal was an indication that Mr. Estrada’s days in the Palace were numbered.
"There is nothing wrong for the students to join rallies unless he (Mr. Estrada) is affected by it. Anyway, the rallies that we had were all peaceful and orderly. There was no threat to the students," she said.
Reyes added that student participation in demonstrations only shows that the youth are concerned about what is happening in the country.
"We are glad that an early age, they can already express themselves on many issues. Now they know the difference between what is right and what is wrong," she said. – With Sheila Crisostomo