N.Y. rally bids GMA 'goodbye'

Rita Villadiego, Philippine News
July 27, 2005

NEW YORK – Filipino novelist Ninotchka Rosca, who won the American Book award in the 1993, wore a party hat, gave purple balloons and chocolate cakes to rally supporters as they sang "Bye Bye Ms. American Pie," in a street party.

Unlike other protest rallies, this one held Monday in front of the Philippine Consulate on Fifth Avenue, had no fiery explosion of emotions, only cheerful songs meant to send a message to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down.

"We want to express our joy at her departure," said Rosca, founding officer of Gabriela Women’s International organization as protesters sang "Take her out of the office," to the tune of "Take me out to the Ballgame."

"Finding her tongue just long enough to be taped discussing fixing one million votes. It is given that cheating occurs in every election, even in the U.S., but no one has been caught, till now, with his/her hand in the ballot box as it were," said Rosca. She is referring to the wiretapped conversation between Arroyo and an election official, currently the subject of an investigation by the Philippine Congress. In the tape, Arroyo was heard to have asked Virgilio Garcillano if her one million lead over rival Fernando Poe was assured.

In a display of mock-glee, some 50 protesters toasted drinks, drank water in champagne glasses, blew paper trumpets and sang to the tune of "Sound of Music," with these words:" So long, farewell, goodbye, You’re a big cheat...the masses have spoken , so leave with no delay."

Dorothea Mendoza, secretary general of Gabriela Network, distributed party hats as she led the noisy and ebullient street party.

"The Arroyo regime has been plagued not only with allegations of fraud but extreme graft and corruption. The price of basic commodities such as food and
utilities has continued to increase. Ms. Arroyo has not delivered on her promise to raise the minimum wage but rather forced upon the people the value added tax (VAT), tripling the tax burden of the Filipino people. Health care and social services for women and children are virtually non-existent....because of poverty, there are more than 800,000 prostituted women and children in the Philippines," Mendoza said.

Mendoza said a third of Filipino families go without dinner every night and half of all children in the country are born without access to medical care, whether pre-natal, birthing or pediatric.

She called on the creation of a transition council that would include farmers, workers and various sectors of society to replace the government of Arroyo.

Onlookers, amused at the spectacle, weighed in on the issue.

"Ms. Arroyo is a very smart woman. She wants to change the government. If the charges of cheating in election are true, then let the Filipinos decide her fate," said Mila Valdez, a physician in New York.

New York-based book author Alberto Florentino said "Ms. Arroyo has no right to be in Malacanang if, indeed, she cheated the institution that symbolizes democracy. It’s unforgivable.”