MANILA, Philippines -- Evangelist Brother Eddie Villanueva said the youth should take part in anti-Charter change rallies because their future is at stake once the 1987 Constitution is amended.

"Students need to understand they have to go beyond simply aiming for good grades, crying out against tuition fee hikes, and being worried of running out of phone load. Now is the time they have to safeguard their own interests and join hands with us in making known our message to the world—enough is enough," Villanueva said in a statement e-mailed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) on Friday.

Earlier, Villanueva had announced he would lead a massive protest once the House of Representatives convenes itself into a constituent assembly by virtue of House Resolution 1109, which was passed on Tuesday night.

Villanueva had said peaceful protests would seek to ignite a "spiritual earthquake in and out of Malacañang ... to jolt the No.1 terrorist in the country."

Some five to seven million members of his coalition comprised of five grassroots-based organizations focused on spirituality, including his own Jesus Is Lord (JIL) Movement, are ready to take to the streets, Villanueva said.

Villanueva said HR 1109 was meant to keep President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her allies in Congress in power beyond 2010.

In his statement, Villanueva described the youth as the "most pitiable casualties of the 'crazy' shenanigans of con-ass [constituent assembly] proponents."

He added national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, "must be turning in his grave" because "the youth [are] losing their rights by default."

Villanueva said he would not be deterred by the failed attempts of anti-Arroyo groups to launch massive People Power-like protests in the past years.

He was ready, he said, to issue "marching orders to those that love God and the Filipino people to unite against this 'unspeakable, brazen act against people's sovereignty.'"

"We will make sure our people, even the whole nation, will be comprehensively educated on their rights as citizens of this nation so that they could fight for those rights with all conviction," Villanueva said.

He expressed hope that lawmakers, including those in the Senate, who have spoken against Charter change would join the protest rally.

Villanueva's camp also clarified that as of now, they would be staging the anti-Charter change protests on their own and without any alliance with the political opposition.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer had erroneously reported on Friday that Villanueva was ready to form an alliance with the political opposition.

Villanueva had told reporters following his press conference last Wednesday that a meeting with him and opposition leaders such as former President Joseph Estrada was "unlikely at this point."