News Release
April 5, 2000

"Don't be disheartened. You have our support."

This was the message of Fr. Joe Dizon, spokesperson of the broad Sept. 21 Committee, to Sen. Teofisto Guingona who has received flak from supporters of President Estrada after calling for the latter's resignation from office.

"Sen. Guingona deserves the support of all freedom-loving Filipinos. He is doing a service to the country by bravely saying 'enough is enough' and calling for the removal of a president who has caused so much suffering and hardships to the Filipino people," Dizon said.

Dizon urged Guingona, himself a convenor of the Sept. 21 Committee, to pursue the "just crusade by leading the legal opposition in Congress and in the streets."

"Today, we witness the renewed outburst of people's protests against the Estrada government. The Sept. 21 Committee welcomes all efforts to unite the people for positive, democratic changes," he said.

At the same time, Dizon lambasted Senators Blas Ople, Juan Ponce Enrile and Francisco Tatad for ganging up on Guingona.

"These persons never learn. At the expense of the suffering Filipino people, they rush to defend their fellow unrepentant Marcos loyalist in Malacaņang from the advancing protest movement," the activist priest said.

"They are scared of Estrada's ouster because they have been accomplices under this regime of cronyism, corruption, rising tyranny and puppetry to foreign interests," Dizon said. ###