The groups included Bayan Muna, Gabriela, An waray, Anak Mindanao, Sibak, and Anakpawis.

UNO spokesman Adel A. Tamano said the rally will call on President Arroyo to resign following the testimony of Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr. in the Senate hearing linking key administration officials to the scrapped National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

Saying the administration has lost its moral authority to govern the country, Tamano called on the people to join the mass protest and express their desire for change in the government.

"We call on the public who believe that the country needs changes to take the lead in this protest. It is the people at large who need to be heard. The politicians will just be around to merely support and organize them," Tamano said.

Tamano said the rally will be held after office hours on Friday so more people would be able to participate.

Compared with the "Hello Garci" scandal,, the Senate inquiry on the NBN project, Tamano said, is "a lot more precarious ground for the public to assemble and call for Arroyo’s resignation."

"We are inviting the people to make their voices heard. If they cannot join us in our protests, they can also make public their statements as groups," he said, adding that civic groups from Metro Manila and key cities in the provinces will join the rally.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, who joined yesterday’s meeting, promised that the assembly on Friday will be peaceful and will be held within the Constitutional framework.

"The public is just asking for the President’s resignation as a peaceful exit. Walang legitimate reason para hadlangan ang mamamayan para isiwalat ang kanilang mga saloobin," Ocampo said, citing the Constitutional guarantee on freedom of speech and assembly.

Ocampo, at the same time, expressed concerns that the Administration may prevent the holding of the protest rally.

"Kinakatakot naming na hindi i-respeto ng Administration ang Constitution at magdeklara ng emergency rule o martial law para lang mapigilan ang pagkilos ng publiko (We fear that the administration may no respect the Constitution and declare emergency rule or martial law just to stop the mass action of the public)," he said.

Asked if the mass protest will lead to another People Power revolt, Ocampo said the Friday protest will gather wider representation of people who wanted to express themselves, regardless of political party affiliation.

"We reiterate our openness to reach out to as wide as many sector as possible. Definitely the present situation is ripe for the people to let their voices be heard against corruption in the administration. We just have to wait for the events to unfold," he said.

Among those who attended the two-hour "expanded" UNO meeting at the Makati City Hall were UNO President and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito, Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Rep. Teofisto Guingona Jr., Rep. Crispin Beltran, Rep. Liza Maza, former Ambassador Ernesto Maceda, former Senator Ernesto "Boy" Herrera, former Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Muntinlupa City Mayor Aldrin San Pedro, Renato Constantino, actor Rez Cortez and Rep. Roilo Golez.

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Archbishop airs call for brave Filipinos to get involved

Leslie Ann G. Aquino

A former head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday said the time has come for the sovereign Filipino people to act and join courageous individuals in their quest for integrity and justice in government.

"There were and there still are courageous and truthful individuals who have risked and continue to risk their own lives and the security of their families. The time has come for the sovereign Filipino people to join them in spirit and in truth, in action for integrity and justice," Lingayen- Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said.

"This is communal action – enough of this. They are too much already. Let us now act," he added.

He, however, stressed that his call for communal action is but an open-ended call to the people.

"It is an open-ended call to the people. One thing is clear, it will be an act against the present administration. But as to how and who will answer to it, it’s up to the people," Cruz said.

"We, the bishops, we will be observing. As long as there will be no bloodshed and it remains constitutional, we will support it," added the archbishop.

In this nation, he said, nothing and nobody is more powerful than the sovereign people made evident by People Power 1 and 2.

"In both instances, it was but one Cardinal, a handful of Bishops, some Priests and Sisters who were there. Not the CBCP, much less the Church in the Philippines. In both occasions, it was the thousands upon thousands of Filipino people with many members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines – together with those few likewise Filipino Churchmen and Religious women – who composed the "People Power," who authored EDSA 1 and EDSA 2 by dismissing two sitting Presidents," Cruz said.

And so, he said, it would be a big mistake to expect the Church to make or unmake a government. "It would be a gross blunder to ask the CBCP to seat or unseat a ruling administration. This is neither meant to demean the Church nor to belittle the CBCP. It is but stating a solid and standing truth," said the prelate.

Earlier, the CBCP in their statement issued last Sunday also called for communal action following national broadband network (NBN) star witness Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada’s expose on alleged corruption involving top public officials.

CBCP president and Jaro, Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said the "confession" made Lozada and ousted House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. may save people from being "held hostage to scandalous and shady government deals."

"Only the truth, not lies and deceits, will set our country free. This truth challenges us now to communal action," he said.

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Prayer and fasting urged to assure safety of witness

Prayer and regular fasting in every part of the country.

These are what Filipinos who believe in the crusade of Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada Jr. must offer on a daily basis, to assure his safety and that the truth will be upheld in the National Broadband Network-ZTE project.

Along this line, a Bible study group calling itself "Anak ng Diyos" pursuant to John 1:12 of the Holy Bible and organized by lawyer Melanio Mauricio Jr., popularly known as Atty. Batas, is urging Catholic priests and its members, as well as Christians and other God-believing groups, to start daily prayers and regular fasting for Lozada, so that the truth can come out in the controversy he is involved in at the moment.

He said Lozada has reached "a point of no return" in his fight to disclose what he knows of the scrapped NBN project of the Arroyo government, in partnership with the ZTE Corporation of China.

Lozada has been gaining support from different sectors of Philippine society after he decided to talk, in a press conference at the La Salle Greenhills and at a Senate investigation, naming former Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. of the Commission on Elections, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and former Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri, as behind the broadband deal.

The "Anak ng Diyos" leader said only God can now provide a solution to the ZTE problem, as well as to the different problems and difficulties the Filipino nation is experiencing.

"Even the Holy Bible teaches that in fighting evil, continuous prayers and regular fasting are the only effective solution," the group said.

The Bible study group is proposing that in every masses celebrated by Catholics across the country, and in every fellowship and worship services of Christian and other God-believing denominations, intentions for the safety and deliverance of Lozada from those who wish him harm be offered, and asked for in prayers.

The "Anak ng Diyos" said these prayers are necessary to protect Lozada from kidnapping and other criminal attempts on his life, similar to what he experienced when he arrived from Hong Kong at the hands of police authorities yet.

"Anak ng Diyos" is also urging Filipinos who believe in God to start an honest-to-goodness reading, studying and daily living of the teachings of God as found in the Bible, to take the country and its people away from the curses arising from disobedience to the Word of God.

Citing 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says that only when the people seek God and turn from their wicked ways will God remove the curses that He has allowed to afflict them, "Anak ng Diyos" said there is now an urgent necessity for the Filipino people to be acquainted with His commands, decrees and laws through regular Bible reading and studying.