US embassy cable - 05MANILA4971

UNCLAS MANILA 004971 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP, DS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINS, PINR, ASEC, RP 
SUBJECT: ANTI-ARROYO RALLY SPONSORED BY LEFT DRAWS 10,000 
IN MANILA 
 
REF: A. MANILA 4934 
 
     B. MANILA 4875 
     C. MANILA 3397 
     D. MANILA 3231 
 
1.  (U) This message is Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please 
handle accordingly. 
 
2.  (SBU) Summary:  About 10,000 leftist anti-President 
Arroyo protesters convened at a site near Malacanang Palace 
on October 21.  In scuffles with police, several people were 
injured.  This latest rally is part of a long string of 
anti-Arroyo protests going back several months.  The Armed 
Forces chief has decided against traveling to PACOM this 
weekend in light of the "situation," but there are no 
indications that it will worsen significantly.  End Summary. 
 
3.  (U) Approximately 10,000 mainly leftist protesters 
gathered near the Mendiola bridge in the vicinity of 
Malacanang Palace in Manila on October 21 to demand the 
resignation of President Arroyo.  The rally was led by 
left-wing party list representatives Satur Ocampo, Teddy 
Casino, and Lisa Masa.  By mid-morning, demonstrators from 
southern and central Luzon and from Metro Manila faced off 
against police in a tense, hostile atmosphere.  The group had 
obtained a permit to hold a rally at Plaza Miranda (a 
well-known protest site) but instead marched on the Mendiola 
Bridge, the scene of a clash between protesters and police on 
October 14.  The Philippine National Police (PNP), in keeping 
with the President's "Calibrated Premeditated Response" (CPR) 
policy (Ref A), denied the protesters access to areas near 
Malacanang where they had no permit to gather.  A small group 
unsuccessfully tried to break through the police cordon, 
leaving at least four protesters and one policeman injured. 
In a separate incident, protesters assembling for the rally 
in Quezon City reportedly roughed up a man they claimed was a 
military intelligence infiltrator before police on the scene 
rescued him. 
 
4.  (U) Poloff on the margins of the scene reported that, as 
of 4:00 PM local time, the crowd had diminished to fewer than 
4,000 persons and that the mood had become somewhat calmer. 
Most of the demonstrators had withdrawn to the approved rally 
area at Plaza Miranda, where leftist politicians gave 
speeches and activists performed street theater.  The police, 
who had called for reinforcements earlier in the day, 
including three fire trucks, claimed to have sufficient 
forces in place to keep the situation under control and to 
protect Malacanang. 
 
5.  (SBU)  The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the 
Philippines, General Generosa Senga, on October 21 informed 
Embassy and PACOM that he would not after all attend the 
Chiefs of Defense conference at PACOM next week, citing "the 
situation."  His staff clarified that President Arroyo had 
approved his travel this weekend and had not/not requested 
that he change these plans. 
 
6.  (SBU) Comment:  This latest rally is part of a long 
string of anti-Arroyo protests going back several months. 
While not the largest, it was again highlighted the continued 
bad blood between Malacanang and its opponents.  Despite 
General Senga's caution, there are no indications that the 
situation will become more tense or worsen significantly. 
End Comment. 
JONES