Church To Lead Largest Coalition Of Protest To Call Resignation Of Philippine Leaders

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Several Catholic Church bishops will lead Friday's broad coalition of protesters that would demand the resignation and rejection of a "morally bankrupt" Philippine government and call for the country's Supreme Court chief justice to head a transition government in case the Arroyo government resigns.

Bishop Antonio Tobias said bishops Bishop Deogracias Iniguez and Bishop Emiritus Julio Labayen will join the protest actions. Tobias is one of the proponents of the Kilusang Makabansang Ekonomiya which plans to hold rallies on November 30 to also commemorate the celebration of the country's revolutionary hero, Andres Bonifacio.

Tobias also reiterated his group's call for Mrs. Arroyo to resign because she has no "moral ascendancy" to continue leading the country.

Militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and former vice president Teofisto Guingona will also hold separate rallies in the capital Manila.

On Wednesday, anti-Arroyo groups released a whole page advertisement in major newspapers calling for the rejection of the Arroyo government.

They said Arroyo had reneged on her promise of "good governance" when she was anointed to power in 2001 replacing former president Joseph Estrada, who has been convicted of plunder.

"We are now in the seventh year of this presidency that has instead reaped pain and ruin for our nation and people," the group said.

Arroyo is facing serious anomalies including bribery attempts to lawmakers during the filing of another impeachment against her, the controversial $329-million national broadband deal with China, which links her husband to hundreds of millions in kickbacks.

In 2005, eight of her cabinet members resigned en masse following the release of the so-called "Hello Garci" tape, a taped conversation of a woman sounding like Arroyo and a ranking election officer instructing the former to rig the 2004 election results and ensure her victory.