AKBAYAN party-list condemned the arrest and rounding up of journalists and civil society leaders and warned the government last night against using the Manila Peninsula standoff to launch another crackdown on the opposition, saying it should instead face squarely the issues that led to the standoff.

“The people will not tolerate another attack on democratic rights. The government is already insinuating that the standoff is a conspiracy between civil society groups and the Magdalo soldiers, even making this insane accusation that the annual November 30 workers’ rallies is part of the standoff,” Deputy Minority Leader and Akbayan Rep. Riza Hontiveros said.

She also condemned the arrest of Bishop Julio Labayen and Fr. Robert Reyes. “The warrant of arrest for the Magdalo soldiers was issued for contempt of court. There was no legal basis to arrest and handcuff Bishop Labayen and Fr. Robert Reyes,” Hontiveros said.

For her part, Akbayan chair emeritus Etta Rosales said the detention of journalists and confiscation of their equipment is isolating further an already politically discredited and a morally bankrupt administration. “We have to thank the soldiers and policemen who are detaining journalists and civil society leaders for showing the bankruptcy of the administration. This is bringing together various forces and sectors, making them realize that it depends upon them to change the status quo.”

She added: “We will also push for a congressional inquiry on the violation of the rights of journalists who were simply in Manila Peninsula to do their jobs. It is unlawful for the AFP and PNP to detain these journalists and to confiscate the tapes and other properties of the media persons in the area.”

Rosales said the conduct of the assault demonstrated anew the propensity of the GMA administration to resort to draconian measures to stifle dissent.

“GMA mangled our constitution and our laws to evade accountability and accused the Magdalo soldiers of violating the rule of law. Yet the standoff was a product of the administration violating the rule of law – it resorted to payoffs to escape allegations of fraud and corruption and it condoned extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances to stifle opposition,” Rosales said.

She warned the administration from using the stand-off to launch a crackdown against anti-GMA forces.

“She should instead come clean and allow efforts to hold her accountable for allegations of fraud and corruption. Declaring another state of emergency or martial rule would not be tolerated by the people. This has gone too far,” Rosales added.

SENATE leaders strongly denounced the unwarranted arrests of members of mediamen who covered the Peninsula Hotel standoff Thursday amid widespread outrage over the blatant violation of constitutional guarantees on freedom of the press.

AKBAYAN party-list condemned the arrest and rounding up of journalists and civil society leaders and warned the government last night against using the Manila Peninsula standoff to launch another crackdown on the opposition, saying it should instead face squarely the issues that led to the standoff.

THE P1.23-trillion budget bill submitted by Malacañang to Congress was based on a “bloated” exchange rate, saddling the government with a P20- billion overpayment of foreign loans incurred by the government, according to Sen. Francis Escudero.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Huge waves caused by strong winds swept away or severely damaged the homes of close to 8,000 people residing along the shorelines of this city’s west coast as well as public infrastructure, and the homeless are now housed in several evacuation centers or with relatives.

DAVAO CITY—Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., Armed Forces chief of staff, on Wednesday assailed the report of a United Nations (UN) special rapporteur that he was convinced by the claim of the military that most of the extrajudicial killings of left-wing activists were touched off by internal purges in the ranks of the communist movement.

A LAWMAKER on Thursday called on the government to stop the planned sale of the National Transmission Corp. (Transco) pending review of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira).