New group asks Pangasinan leaders to buck Estrada

DAGUPAN CITY — After President Estrada charmed Pangasinenses in his visit last Nov. 30 in San Carlos City, leaders of various religious, civic and non-government groups in this province are petitioning their local officials to represent the true sentiments of the people here and rise above personal convenience, political expediency and camaraderie.

Lawyer Delmer Cruz, secretary general of Erap Agco la! (Enough of Erap), said their group headed by Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan Archdiocese, is now coordinating with its leaders at the municipal level to pressure local officials to heed the popular call for Mr. Estrada’s immediate removal from office.

The Erap Agco la! move developed after 44 out of 48 mayors in Pangasinan signed a manifesto of support for the President. Many of the mayors insist their support was for adherence to constitutional processes, not for Mr. Estrada.

Cruz said, it took Mr. Estrada’s "incompetence, loss of credibility and moral ascendancy to rouse Pangasenenses." — Eva de Leon