MANILA, 9 March 2008 — Hundreds of women activists observed International Women’s Day yesterday by marching toward the presidential palace to serve a symbolic “arrest warrant” on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo amid a raging corruption scandal.

Joined by former senior government officials, the marchers carried red and purple banners demanding Arroyo’s resignation or ouster as they tried to cross the historic Chino Roces Bridge, scene of many violent confrontations between police and protesters since the martial law regime of the late Ferdinand Marcos.

“We are calling on President Arroyo to resign and we are also calling on the people, especially the women, to unite and join this movement for change in our leadership,” said Rep. Liza Maza of the left-wing women’s party, Gabriela.

Among the personalities who joined the anti-government demonstrations were former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, former Sen. Leticia Ramos Shahani, Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros anti-crime campaigner Teresita Ang-See, the wives of detained Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Col. Ariel Querubin.

Police, however, blocked the bridge with steel fences wrapped with barbed-wire, forcing the protesters to hold their demonstration there.

“We allowed them (ralliers) to do their thing. Anyway we have placed demarcation lines. If they cross that, it will be a breach of the permit they received,” said Manila Police District director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales.

The militant groups held a program raising women’s issues and demanding Arroyo’s ouster. They denounced corruption in the government and called for a change in the system as they also raised gender issues including violence against women.

After serving the warrant in a mock arrest, the protesters set fire on effigy of Arroyo, who was depicted as a thief carrying a bag full of money.

In another rally, pro-government groups led by Babae Para sa Kaunlaran (Babae Ka, Women for Progress), held a “visita iglesia” by going around 14 churches in Metro Manila.

The two opposing groups met briefly at the Welcome Rotonda at the boundary of Manila and Quezon City before 9 a.m. but the tension between them quickly dissipated as the pro-Arroyo group marched off toward Quezon City to begin their own version of the traditional Lenten activity.

“Lenten celebration aimed at seeking “spiritual guidance and adherence to the rule of law,” according to Babae Ka president Ruth Vasquez.

Yesterday’s march was the latest in a series of protests triggered by allegations of bribery in a $330 million government broadband contract with China’s telecommunications giant ZTE Corp.

Former consultants have testified in Senate hearings that Arroyo, her husband and the country’s elections chief — who has since quit — benefited from huge kickbacks linked to the broadband project. The scandal forced Arroyo to cancel the contract last year, but the opposition-dominated Senate is continuing an investigation into the deal.

Arroyo’s husband and the resigned elections chief have denied any wrongdoing, while presidential spokesmen have dismissed the charges as hearsay. In her seven years in power, Arroyo has survived four attempted power grabs and three opposition impeachment bids over alleged corruption and vote-rigging. (Input from AP & Inquirer News Service)

Analysts have attributed her staying power to the refusal of the powerful military and the Catholic church to join calls for her ouster. Those institutions played key roles in the revolts that ousted Marcos in 1986 and Arroyo’s predecessor, Joseph Estrada, in 2001. (With input from Inquirer News Service & Associated Press)