Opposition recruiting P’sinan residents for Batasan march?

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Police are on their toes regarding persistent reports that some influential people in the province aligned with the opposition are recruiting residents to join the march to the Batasan Pambansa complex in Quezon City — for a fee.

Senior Superintendent Mario Sandiego, provincial police director, cited reports relayed to him by concerned citizens and media people that a group identified with the Fernando Poe Jr. for President Movement has begun mobilizing people for the march to Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City where the national canvassing for president and vice president is underway.

Sandiego said he has instructed his police chiefs to validate these reports in their respective areas.

Based on the reports, anyone joining the march from Urdaneta City to Tarlac will get P1,000 and an additional P1,000 from Tarlac to the North Luzon Expressway and from the expressway to the Bonifacio monument in Caloocan City.

From Caloocan to the Batasan complex, each marcher gets P2,000, the reports said.

Because of the huge sum involved in paying the marchers, police are also verifying reports that a moneyed individual could be behind the protest action.

A re-elected mayor from the third district of Pangasinan, who requested anonymity, told The STAR that he has received the same information.

Based on the initial reports, he said the opposition was recruiting marchers from Malasiqui town and the cities of San Carlos and Urdaneta.

He said the march was supposed to start three days ago but due to bad weather, it was reset to tomorrow with the organizers hoping to reach the Batasan Pambansa by June 12.

The source said the marchers will be fed and that there will be no limit on the number of participants.

Sandiego said they are discouraging local folk from taking part in the march because of destabilization plots reportedly being hatched by disgruntled groups.

"Kung sasama sila dahil sa pera, mababaw na motibo yan (If they join because of money, that’s a shallow motive)," he said.

Although he said he understands the people’s constitutional rights, the police also have the duty to protect the State.

Sandiego said it is better for those who want to express their grievances to just stage peaceful assemblies in their plazas and get the necessary permits.

"We can even protect them here," he said.

Sandiego fears that there might be a third force who might take advantage of the situation.

He warned the marchers not to carry deadly weapons because they might be searched at checkpoints and they are answerable to the law.