Judge scores ‘abuse, misuse’ of students in Dagupan rally

DAGUPAN CITY – “This is an abuse and misuse of the youths by taking advantage of their restlessness and innocence.”

Thus said Judge Ulysses Butuyan, executive judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 51 in Tayug town, Pangasinan as he assailed the participation of high school students, some only freshmen from Catholic schools during the Friday Church-led communal action here on allegations of corruption of the Arroyo administration.

Butuyan, who saw the marching of the young students when spotted by The STAR outside the St. John The Evangelist Church where an afternoon Mass was earlier held, said it was “an abuse of confidence on the part of school administrators” who sent them there as participants.

Media estimated about 5,000 participants but other groups said it was only about 3,000, yet the biggest ever in a rally held here but noticeably, about 80 to 90 percent of them are high school students, some wearing their school uniforms.

He said the school authorities, as well as the priests who head their schools should instead help them think straight, not make them fall to fanaticism, by explaining to the young the situation.

“I hate these manipulators,” he said.

“Pangit na nga ang bahay natin, susunugin pa ang bintana at dingding (Our house is already bad and they still burn its windows and walls),” he said.

And while it is being rocked by an earthquake, they continue to push it down, Butu­yan lamented.

He said that “We must always remember that often behind every public incitement is someone’s private ambition for power or revenge.”

“He is invariably someone masquerading as a patriot but in reality, is as black a pot as the kettle he denounces,” he added.

Butuyan said, “My heart mourns for the agitators and bleeds for the undiscerning. May God look upon them kindly.”

Sought for comments, Rev. Fr. Oliver Mendoza, parish priest of San Fabian town, and who led the rally with guidance from Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, a staunch critic of President Arroyo, said, “The truth is mga kabataan talaga ang focus ng lahat (The youths are really the focus of everything).”

He said the old “have in one way or another corrupted and have been corrupted by others.”

“This is our sin against our youth,” Mendoza said. He added that the young still have their idealism “unlike the apathy of the old.”

“I believe they (youth) will become the new heroes of our country and from them, we, the old folks, will change and act,” he said, “adding he expects more from the young on this coming change.”  

Spectators said the rally turned out to be more “entertaining” with more songs and dances of the young, rather than “moving” as the speakers spoke nothing new than hatred and anger against the administration through shouts of “GMA resign” and ZTE corruption.

Joey de Venecia, the original whistle blower on the botched ZTE national broadband deal who was invited as speaker, as well as Archbishop Cruz were no show in the rally here as they were in Metro Manila for the simultaneous rally.