Shrine cops drive back marchers

Anti-riot policemen from the Eastern Police District (EPD) drove back some 1,000 marchers, headed by former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, in their attempt to stage a political rally at the EDSA Shrine in Mandaluyong City.

"We stand firm in our decision not to allow any political exercise in the vicinity of EDSA Shrine," Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief, told Guingona and other rally leaders.

After five minutes of pushing and shoving between rally frontliners and 100 anti-riot policemen, Guingona’s group peacefully marched back to San Juan, where they were given a permit by San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito to hold a rally at the corner of Connecticut street and Ortigas Extension.

The march to the Shrine was led by Guingona, former Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Linggoy Alcuaz and J.B. Bautista. Marchers were made up mostly of Akbayan members, who were carrying placards calling for the ouster of President Arroyo.

The group started marching toward the Shrine, but was blocked by Velasquez and his men at 5:30 p.m.

Guingona and his group insisted they were there to attend Ash Wednesday Mass at the Shrine chapel.

However, Velasquez explained to Guingona and other rally leaders that they would strictly enforce the wishes of the Catholic Church not to allow political rallies at the Shrine so as not to desecrate the site.

"They were carrying placards so their intention was not to attend Mass, but to conduct a political rally at the Shrine," Velasquez said.

"Nagkaroon ng tulakan at girian subalit hindi naman humantong sa paluan," the police chief said, referring to the confrontation.

Fr. Vic Apacible, rector of the Shrine which is under the jurisdiction of Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales, also stressed that the group would have been allowed to stay if their intention was to hear the 5:30 p.m. Mass.

"We have rules to follow here inside the Shrine. If they wanted to attend the Mass, we would have allowed them. But they were holding those banners so we did not," the priest explained.

Soliman said they only wanted to light candles "to pray for Filipinos to reflect and think deeply to hurdle this crisis and finally find the truth."

Velasquez also pointed out that Metro police Director Vidal Querol has cancelled all rally permits with the declaration of a state of national emergency last week.

Querol downgraded from "full" to "heightened" the alert status of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) last Tuesday, but maintained the deployment of anti-riot policemen to the EDSA Shrine and other traditional protest rally sites in Metro Manila.

EPD director Chief Superintendent Charlemagne Alejandro deployed 100 anti-riot policemen to secure the EDSA Shrine on a 24-hour basis.