The former Philippine president, Ms Corazon Aquino, and church leaders said yesterday they will hold a massive "anti-dictatorship" rally this month, rebuffing an appeal by the President, Mr Fidel Ramos, to call it off. Ms Aquino met supporters from business, politics and the church, as well as opposition politicians including the Vice President, Mr Joseph Estrada, to plan for the demonstration on September 21st. "This is the time for us to fight once more for our democracy," Ms Aquino said at the launching of the Movement Against Revising the Charter.
Ms Aquino and her supporters said the moves to change the national charter, or constitution, to extend term limits just before the 1998 elections indicated a creeping desire of those in power to prolong their rule. They say all this is reminiscent of Marcos' 20year regime, 14 of which were under martial law.
She expressed concern that the democracy restored after Marcos was deposed in a popular uprising in 1986 was "under threat" from a determined push by ruling party congressmen to amend the constitution to extend the terms of all elected officials, including that of the president.
Organisers, led by Ms Aquino and Manila's influential archbishop, Cardinal Jaime Sin, said they hope to gather one million people for the rally at a seaside park in Manila.
Mr Ramos earlier this week appealed to Cardinal Sin to cancel the rally, saying it would further polarise Filipinos, now engaged in one of the most bitter debates since the president came to power in 1992.
Asked under what circumstances he might change his position and stay in power, Mr Ramos said the issue was pending before both the Supreme Court and Congress. "So why don't we just wait?" he said. Ms Aquino and her supporters said they were not opposed to constitutional amendments. However they questioned the timing and the manner in which the changes were being pursued, and the objective of prolonging the terms of those in power.
Monsignor Socrates Villegas, an aide of Cardinal Sin, said priests from the Manila archdiocese would help to mobilise people from their parishes for the rally.
The priests agreed to issue a unified sermon on September 7th and 14th opposing constitutional changes. Filipinos were urged to mount a "noise barrage" by banging pots and pans at home and honking their car horns every 6 p.m. (11 a.m. Irish time) from September 18th, Monsignor Villegas said.
"I am again appealing to all defenders of democracy . . . to show up on September 21st," Ms Aquino said. "We need to help each other so that what happened during martial law will not happen again."
September 21st marks the 25th anniversary of Marcos' declaration of martial law in 1972. Marcos died in Hawaii in 1989, three years after the popular uprising that swept Ms Aquino to power.
Mr Ramos has insisted that he is not seeking to stay in power after his term ends on June 30th, 1998, but has defended the right of congressmen and pro-amendment groups to seek changes to the constitution.