Details are still sketchy, but "Hyatt 10" member and former social welfare secretary Dinky Soliman and Black and White Movement convenor Vicente Enteng Romano, were arrested just a few minutes ago while they were leading an anti-Arroyo walk at the Baywalk Area in Roxas Boulevard.
According to the policemen reportedly led by a certain Col. Pedroso, Soliman's group was arrested for violating Batasang Pambansa (BP) 880, the law that prohibits illegal assembly without permit. BP 880 was issued during the Marcos dictatorship.
Soliman's group told the arresting police that they were merely walking in the area and were not disturbing anyone with their activity. Soliman even insisted that while they were wearing anti-Arroyo shirts, they weren't shouting calls for Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign. They didn't even have anti-Arroyo placards with them. Still, policemen brought Soliman and Romano (I'm still not sure if there are others from the group) to a police station in Manila.
While, we are waiting for more details about the arrest, this is what the Black and White Movement was planning to do tonight. The group holds an activity every Friday (called "Black Flash Friday Protests") to show their sentiments against the president. The first Black Flash Friday Protest was held last March 3 at Starbucks Cafe, in Makati.
Black Friday Bulletin #3 - Baywalk Makapili Protest Designated time and place of flash protest for March 17:
BAYWALK, Roxas Blvd - 6:30 to 7:15 PM
Plan of action:
1) Wear BLACK. BRING ALSO HAT, SHADES, AND IMPROVISED HOOD similar to the hooded witness of DOJ (see attached photo).
2) Assemble in front of the Aristocrat Restaurant, Roxas Blvd. between 6:15 to 6:30pm
3) Wait awhile for other groups in black. Take a snack, if you wish, while waiting for others to arrive
4) At 6:30pm, cross Roxas Boulevard in single file towards Baywalk.
5) Put on your "Makapili" hooded outfit and mingle with the regular Friday strollers on Baywalk.
6) When the signal is given, line up single file along the road and face the street.
7) Do the "thumbs down" sign to passing vehicles.
8) On cue, disperse quietly.
Suggested preparations:
9) Invite as many friends or officemates as possible.
10) If you're an employer or a manager, invite all your subordinates to join you. Offer to "treat" them after the flash protest, if you can afford it. Hey, it's Friday after pay day. So you can have your regular "gimmick" after this.
11) If you're from the same office, arrange for carpooling going to the Aristocrat restaurant.
12) If you're outside of Metro Manila, and there are enough of you to organize a protest action, just select your own area of protest, but follow the "MAKAPILI" theme.
Are we still under a democracy?
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1 comment:
Hello Bryant. Thank you for writing about our experience last night. Both Enteng and Dinky were released upon their own recognizance past midnight but it was ruled that the case has to go through further investigation. We maintain that we were merely hoping to stroll the Baywalk. We had no placards, we did not chant. In fact, we never got to the street.
We are grateful for the company of good friends, and to the new ones we made that night.
Must apologize about the current state of our blog, it can't be accessed. And since yours and other blogger weblogs can be accessed, we are afraid that we've been hacked. So we'll just put up another one shortly. And another one, should they try and hack it.
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