SOME 1,000 students, priests, nuns and residents from Dagupan and adjacent towns led the march that culminated in a peaceful prayer rally at the Dagupan City Plaza on Friday afternoon to register their objection to charter change, particularly the holding of Constituent Assembly at anytime.

The rally, organized by Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Lingayen-Dagupan archdiocese, was supported by the Dagupan City government as Mayor Benjamin Lim is a known critic of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., the chief proponent of the charter-change in the House of Representatives.

 Joining the rally were members of the Philippine Independent Church, United Methodist Church, students from various Catholic schools in Pangasinan, and militant groups such as the Bayan Muna, Gabriela and Akbayan.

Lim said many Filipino people disagree with charter change not only because of the highly suspect motives of the principal political characters whom he described as “untrustworthy”.

Accompanied by his wife Celia, Lim clarified that he would not be against the charter change if it’s not President Arroyo, de Venecia and the rest of the administration congressmen who are pushing for it.

Lim is rumored to be all set to challenge Speaker de Venecia Jr. in the political arena in the fourth district in the coming May 2007 elections.

Among those seen in the rally were barangay captains Guillermo “Emong” Vallejos of Poblacion Oeste, Hermigildo Rosal of Barangay 1, Roberto Abalos, of Pogo Grande and Arsenio Esguerra of Mangin, all Lim’s loyalists.

 Lim said those pushing charter change at this time must realize that this entire process is ultimately about trust.

“If the surveys show that the Filipino do not trust JDV, GMA, and the rest of the administration congressmen to be the leaders of this nation, then how can we trust them to change our constitution?” Lim asked.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Cruz encouraged the Filipino people to protect not only themselves but also their countrymen.

Cruz also cited that the killings of people, most of whom were anti- administration, which still remained unsolved. — AQL

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