IBP to hold rally vs 1017 on Friday

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) will assert its right to peaceably assemble by holding a rally on Friday to protest the "excessive" exercise of police and the military powers under emergency rule. IBP national president Jose Anselmo Cadiz on Wednesday told GMA7's DZBB his group expects activists, students, teachers and political leaders to attend the rally. Cadiz urged judges around the country to cancel hearings scheduled for Friday to manifest their opposition to the proclamation and asked the public to join the protest despite the threat of possible arrests. "We will exercise our right to freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Constitution under the Bill of Rights. When you are in a democratic country, karapatan ng kahit isa o tatlong tao ang mag-exercise ng freedom of speech in the streets," Cadiz said. He alleged the warrantless arrests, the raid of the Daily Tribune office and printing press and the banning of assemblies were "hallmarks of Martial Law in the 1970s." Members of the IBP decided Tuesday night to stage the rally after the Supreme Court refused to issue a restraining order against the continued implementation of Proclamation 1017 and instead scheduled oral arguments on its constitutionality on March 7. Protesters would assemble in front of the IBP building in Pasig City. The nongovernment organization e-Lagda said it would use the Internet to launch weekly "flash mob" protests. "We launch the Black Friday Protest Movement to give you an opportunity to be counted with low risk and nominal involvement on your part. All you need to do is, every Friday, you and your friends can wear black, go to a designated place and hang around for about 30 minutes and leave," e-Lagda lead convenor VicenteRomano said in a letter posted on the blog of the Black and White Movement. Romano said interested participants can send a blank email to blackfridayprotest-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, and they will receive an announcement on Wednesday about the time and location of the flash mob activity. A flash mob is a group of people who suddenly assemble at a public place, do something unusual or notable, and then disperse, at times organized with the help of the Internet.-GMANews.TV