Bro. Eddie’s group launches drive to get 79 signatures

An umbrella organization of at least 20 pro-impeachment groups that include defeated presidential candidate Bro. Eddie Villanueva’s Bangon Pilipinas Movement began a multimedia campaign yesterday to convince more congressmen to support the opposition in its bid to impeach President Arroyo.

Members of the Black and White Movement (BWM) said they are now sending emails through the Internet, copies of letters through fax machines and text messages to cellular phones of congressmen urging them to sign the impeachment complaint and support the opposition cause.

The group made the statement following the defeat of pro-impeachment lawmakers to push for the approval of the amended complaint before the justice committee panel of the House of Representatives.

BWM said it was "blatant and arrogant" of the administration lawmakers to thumb down the amended complaint being pushed by the opposition which apparently forced them to walk out from the hearings last Tuesday.

"Let us together flood them with text, email and fax messages expressing our indignation over the blatant and arrogant ways of suppressing the truth," BWM said.

The group presented before the media the erstwhile Cabinet members of President Arroyo led by former social welfare secretary Corazon Soliman who claimed Malacañang manipulated the impeachment process from the very start.

Allegations were made that Malacañang had made previous arrangements to endorse the complaint filed by Marcos lawyer Oliver Lozano which is seen as the weakest among the three impeachment complaints filed against Mrs. Arroyo.

"Especially in light of new revelations about the possible conspiracy attending the filing of the Lozano complaint, we believe that it is in the interest of the Filipino people that the truth behind this serious allegation be established first, before making a decision on which complaint to officially consider," the group said.

BWM also praised the administration congressmen for siding with the opposition cause, saying they stood "above partisan politics to stand for the truth."

They said it was only proper for the pro-impeachment congressmen to walk out from the hearings since the "process... is now clearly turning out to be a sham."

The group said they are calling on the undecided congressmen to sign the impeachment complaint in order to send it to the Senate and allow due process to take its course.

They said history will judge the lawmakers who sign the impeachment complaint for taking a "bold and heroic step in favor of the Filipino people."

They also praised Soliman and the other former Cabinet members who comprised the so-called Hyatt 10 for their disclosure over the impeachment complaint.

The BWM called on the public to convey to their respective representatives at the House their views on the issue.

"The issues in this political crisis are as clear as black and white. Let there be no doubt that we will fight for it," the group said. — Michael Punongbayan, Katherine Adraneda