Violence mars people’s court opening

Fisticuffs marred the opening day of the so-called "people’s court" hearing at the UP Theater in Quezon City yesterday when several supporters of President Arroyo jeered the proceedings, in which Mrs. Arroyo is being "tried" on election cheating allegations.

Two men, including the leader of the pro-Arroyo group, were hurt after being beaten by several angry participants.

The proceedings, which carry no legal weight but are being conducted by the Citizens’ Congress for Truth and Accountability (CCTA), are meant to publicly air the opposition-initiated allegations that Mrs. Arroyo cheated in last year’s presidential race. These charges were left unresolved when the House of Representatives threw out three impeachment complaints against the President last Sept. 6.

Malacañang shrugged off the proceedings yesterday, with Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye branding the congress a "kangaroo court."

At least 10 pro-Arroyo members of a group calling itself the Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy jeered from the gallery and unfurled banners shortly after former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr., the CCTA’s chairman, opened the "trial."

Jun Alamo, the group’s leader, charged that the "people’s court" mock trial was actually a communist ploy to undermine the government.

Alamo and his group were then booed and driven out by the irate anti-Arroyo crowd. He was punched by several angry participants in the theater lobby as marshals and security personnel tried to stop the melee.

Alamo suffered a cut under his left eye. Another man, Arnel Balili, was also beaten up but he said he was not with Alamo’s group. Balili later told reporters that he came to the proceedings just to listen.

The CCTA denounced the incident. "We are saddened by what happened. We will get to the bottom of this," said professor Maria Serena Diokno, a CCTA founder.

"But we reiterate that whoever wants to participate here, whether pro or anti, are welcome provided that they behave accordingly."

Bunye said the people’s court is clearly intended to vilify Mrs. Arroyo and the administration has no intention of sending a representative to defend itself.

"This is clearly illegal so there’s no need to participate in this proceeding," he told a press briefing. "They can go ahead but we have expressed our stand on this. As a matter of fact, the less we talk about this, the better."

It is a "mockery of the justice system and the institutions that have already laid to rest the issues they are trying to resurrect."

Bunye declined to comment on the melee, saying it would be up to the injured parties to file charges.

The opposition, of which deposed President Joseph Estrada is the de facto leader, has been waging a five-month old campaign to oust Mrs. Arroyo over the poll fraud charges. Estrada is in detention on massive corruption charges.

In July, Mrs. Arroyo admitted that she had improperly called an unidentified election official during the vote count.

She denied opposition allegations that she attempted to rig the election and rejected calls for her to step down.

In August, Mrs. Arroyo’s allies in Congress quashed an impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo filed by pro-Estrada lawmakers.

This has led to a protracted political standoff between Mrs. Arroyo and the political opposition, raising fears that violence or a military takeover might result.

Meanwhile, lawyer Oliver Lozano, who filed one of three impeachment complaints against Mrs. Arroyo, asked the Supreme Court yesterday to cite Guingona for contempt in organizing the people’s court.

His complaint was taken up by the House while the other two were junked.

In his petition, he said the people’s court "is an insult to the Supreme Court that has taken jurisdiction over the impeachment petition for review on certiorari," which Lozano filed.

"If they cannot respect the Supreme Court, the Constitution and the rule of law, how can they respect the truth?"

In September, the High Tribunal threw out a petition filed by Lozano and another filed by lawyer Ernesto Francisco seeking to overturn the House vote on the impeachment complaint.

Lozano questioned Guingona’s credibility to head the people’s court. "Mr. Guingona was the vice president appointed by the President. He turned his back and joined the oust GMA movement. Therefore, Mr. Guingona has no credibility to head a people’s court to impeach GMA." — With Paolo Romero, Jose Rodel Clapano