NEWSFLASH

ONLY 5 CARS AT CEBU ANTI-ERAP NOISE BARRAGE -- INQUIRER

Manila, April 10, 2000 - The Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of President Estrada’s most visible critics, reported today that the anti-Estrada noise barrage campaign launched by the “Silent Protest Movement” was hardly heard or seen nationwide.

In Cebu City, the Inquirer reports that only five cars circled the Osmeña Park rotunda, including one driven by former Cebu City Rep. Raul del Mar. The cars went around the rotunda 10 times, while their drivers honked their horns. The drivers of the few other cars that passed through the area also blew their horns, even if halfheartedly.

The Cebu City rotunda, usually a traffic choke point, was almost empty of cars.

There were more supporters the day before, when at least 12 vehicles, including an ambulance and a 80-seat passenger bus, joined the noise barrage.

With huge streamers saying ''Blow your horn'' and ''Busina'' hanging on the bus and the attention-getting siren from the ambulance, practically all motorists passing around the circle also blew their horns.

The group of vehicles, led by the car driven by Binamira, went around the Fuente Osmeña Circle Park eight times and blew their horns for five minutes on Saturday. The drivers of at least 10 taxis parked outside the Park Hotel, across the road from the Fuente Osmeña Park, also blew their horns.

The INQUIRER reported that no noise barrage was held in major cities, towns and provinces in Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and the Ilocos regions.

INQUIRER correspondents reported no blowing of horns or any other form of protest in Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Zambales, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Norte, Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Isabela and in the cities of Baguio, Dagupan, Angeles, Tarlac, San Fernando and Laoag at 6 p.m. yesterday.

Friday and Saturday, the first days of the planned three-day noise barrage, were also silent.

The INQUIRER also learned that no group organized or coordinated the activity in these provinces and cities since Friday.

In Pangasinan, Ric Avelino, co-chair of the Alliance Against Charter Change Offensive (Agco), said no noise barrage was held as his group was still organizing efforts to dramatize protests against the Estrada administration.