Anti-Erap group goes beyond cyberspace

Filipino netizens of the world, unite.

On Dec. 13, an anti-Estrada group that has been waging war through the Internet will intensify its campaign for President Estrada’s resignation by not only emerging from cyberspace – but by spreading its battle across the real world.

"We have one unique capability that no other organized group has – global reach," said Vicente Romano III, organizer of eLagda.com, one of the several anti-Estrada Internet sites that mushroomed since the jueteng scandal began in early October.

Why Dec. 13? "It’s a week after the (impeachment) trial has started. It’s a good sustaining protest that will hopefully keep the momentum of the big mass action planned by most groups on Dec. 7 (the start of the trial)," Romano explained.

Aside from giving the group time to prepare for its "International Day of Protest," Romano also hopes that by then the legal wrangling over the US presidential elections would have ended. That would give Romano’s group a chance to get the attention of international news outfits.

And besides, "Erap hates the number 13," Romano said, noting how the number is associated with bad luck. Mr. Estrada happens to be superstitious and believes in feng shui or Chinese geomancy.

Shortly after his 1998 election victory, the then President-elect said he was bothered by the fact that he would shortly become the Philippines’ 13th president.

He then said he wanted to be referred to as the country’s 12th president – even though his predecessor and constant critic, Fidel Ramos, was the 12th president.

ELagda’s (lagda means signature in Filipino) original objective was to present a petition from Filipinos all over the world urging Mr. Estrada to step down. Over 101,000 have signed eLagda’s petition since its campaign began over a month ago.

During the Nov. 17 anti-Estrada general strike, Romano e-mailed the petition by punching a key on a laptop in a demonstration in front of the Philippine Stock Exchange in Pasig City.

As part of its political battle, eLagda currently has an e-mail writing campaign in which members write senators urging them to vote according to their conscience.

But now Romano believes that eLagda should "extend the battlefield from the virtual to the real domain as the impeachment trial heats up."

For eLagda’s International Day of Protest, Romano said, "breadth is more important than depth."

"We need to have as many locations as possible to claim that this is a truly international event," Romano said in e-mails to eLagda members.

The international protest will be held in 17 countries, including seven cities in the United States, and the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah, both in Saudi Arabia.

Here at home, rallies will be held in Metro Manila and 15 provinces and key cities.

Initially, members will hold small rallies – 20 people would suffice – in front of Philippine embassies and consulates, wherein they will urge the ambassador or consul general to "resign and stop supporting a government that has lost the mandate of its people."

They will also give a basket of 22 peaches, each representing one impeach vote. The Senate, which is acting as an impeachment court, has 22 senators.

Here at home, there will be a motorcade in Metro Manila which will end at the Senate in Pasay City. Protesters will then hand a basket of 22 peaches and a letter to senators urging them to ask Mr. Estrada to step down without waiting for a verdict, or to vote guilty.

As for those in provinces, members will stage protest motorcades that will converge at popular rally sites.

"I know this is an ambitious goal that none of us even imagined when we started eLagda," Romano said in e-mails to members. "By God’s grace, we shall prevail."