Erap to AFP men: Can’t you hear people’s cry for change?

(Update) BAGUIO CITY - Pardoned former president Joseph Estrada on Saturday called on the military high command to join hands with people urging President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to step down. In an interview during his appearance at the annual Panagbenga festival, Estrada claimed that diverse sectors in the country have stepped up the call for the President’s resignation. “It is not only [members of the] opposition who are calling for her ouster. [Now], even students, laborers, who do not belong to any political party, and even [members of the] religious sectors are now joining hands for her to resign," Estrada said. “I call on all sectors, especially the men in uniform, to heed the call of the people, pursuant to their Constitutional role as protector of the sovereign people," Estrada said. Estrada said many Filipinos are now clamoring for change and good government. “Recent developments in our country indicates that the rich and the poor sector of society, especially farmers, the poor, students, businessmen, the workers including the Church leaders, are now united in seeking for the truth," Estrada said. “The present government continue to fail to answer the call of the people." Estrada, however, said that he is not asking the military to place the country under a military junta. He said that Mrs Arroyo should have allowed the transmission of the impeachment case filed against her before the House of Representatives to the impeachment court, which is the Senate. “She should have followed the process and should not have blocked Congress from bringing the impeachment case to the Senate, so that there will be no cover-up," Estrada said. Estrada said Mrs Arroyo has herself to blame for the recent developments in her administration. The former president said he will join the February 29 prayer rally to be led by former president Corazon Aquino in Makati City - if he is invited by organizers. “I hope the military will join the people for their search for the truth. I am not calling for a military take over," Estrada said. "They should march with the people, attend the protest rallies, especially those military men whose records are unblemished. They should be loyal to the Constitution. We are under democracy and power must reside in the people," Estrada said. AFP won’t intervene But Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr has told civil society groups to stop agitating the military into intervening in the ongoing political tension over allegations of massive corruption in the government's controversial national broadband network deal with China’s ZTE Corp. Esperon said he has received reports of military officials getting text messages, asking the them to make a stand on the issue. Esperon has earlier said that the AFP would not intervene and would just let the democratic processes, particularly the Senate hearings into the ZTE deal to continue. “We (Armed Forces) do not want to intervene because we believe that it should be civil society and the democratic processes themselves that should solve (these) problems. We should be addressing other problems, for the military’s concerns are the armed threats, those that endanger the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the public," said Esperon, adding that the military’s role is also to safeguard the democratic institutions. “The more that the military intervenes, the more that the institutions will weaken, you do not want that. Through media, we challenge the people to make democracy work," he added. For his part, Army chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano also dismissed such appeals for military intervention, saying it is improper to even ask the military to join the political fray. Yano is taking over the post of Esperon on May 9 when the outgoing AFP chief completes his tour of duty, which Mrs Arroyo extended by three months. “Let's allow the democratic process to go on unhampered. It is the job of the military to see to it that this process goes on. It is a way of strengthening our democratic institutions. Let the institutions function, otherwise, we will not be strengthening our democratic institutions. We will be weakening it," said Yano. “Do not encourage the Armed Forces to intervene. There should be no shortcut, no extra-constitutional means... It is improper for some groups to call for the military to intervene... We can't interfere every time there is political problem....It is not for a noisy minority to dictate on the people what to do," he added. - GMANews.TV