MANILA, Philippines—The fallout from the hasty passage of House Resolution No. 1109 continued to be felt Thursday, with born-again Christian leader Bro. Eddie Villanueva threatening to set off “a spiritual earthquake in and out of Malacañang.”

At a press conference, Villanueva said he would call out his coalition of grassroots-based organizations comprising more than five million members once the House of Representatives convenes itself into a constituent assembly (Con-ass) to amend the 1987 Constitution and lift term limits on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her allies.

“I think that is the only way to jolt the No. 1 terrorist in the country,” he said.

Elsewhere, constitutionalist Joaquin Bernas said that what the administration allies in the House did in passing HR 1109 was to announce that they would commit a crime.

From his detention cell in Camp Crame national police headquarters, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim called on his fellow soldiers to help the people stop the administration from holding on to the reins of power beyond 2010.

“I call on every officer and enlisted man to follow your conscience and do what is right—to protect the people and the state,” Lim said in a statement sent to reporters through his lawyer, Vicente Verdadero.

Even members of the Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO) warned that with the “unparliamentary move” of the House majority in cutting off plenary debates and passing HR 1109, Ms Arroyo and her allies would have to deal with public anger.

Order from higher-up

“We will match this with protests,” Teresita Deles, former head of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, said in a phone interview. “There will be time when we will get together with the others who are fighting the same fight.”

Deles observed that “administration lawmakers were in full force during the voting” for HR 1109 on Tuesday night.

“It was clear there was an order from the higher-up,” she said.

Vicente Paterno, a former senator and trade secretary, said he did not see how the President could “escape identification with the passage of Resolution 1109.”

He added: “It got passed in an unparliamentary manner. People were outraged because it was done close to midnight. They have to face the outrage.”

‘This is too much’

Villanueva said the sole aim of HR 1109 was to keep Ms Arroyo and her allies in the House in power.

“We learned a lesson that if the crowd is small, [Palace officials ignore it]. That’s why we are seriously planning a mammoth crowd that could perhaps produce a spiritual earthquake inside and outside Malacañang,” he said.

Villanueva did not name the “terrorist” but said Filipinos were smart enough to know who he was referring to, and that this person was the “mastermind” of HR 1109.

He warned against pushing the Filipino people to the limit, saying this could lead to occurrences similar to the violent deaths of dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

Villanueva said the executive committee of his coalition met on Wednesday and discussed its plan of action vis-à-vis the “ridiculous, if not horrible, maneuver in betraying the people’s trust [and] in raping our Constitution.”

The coalition is composed of Villanueva’s own Jesus Is Lord Movement (JIL); Bagong Pilipinas; Bagong Pilipino Movement; Sagip Pilipinas; Intercessors for the Philippines, a prayer movement; and Philippines for Jesus Movement, an umbrella organization of Born-Again Christian groups nationwide.

All told, it has five to seven million members, Villanueva said.

According to Villanueva, discussions on Charter change and its effects are being conducted by the coalition members down to the grassroots.

Once the House convenes into a Con-ass, the coalition members will take to the streets in protest, he said.

“I repeat that we will not have second thoughts about going to the streets if the effort to change the Charter now moves an inch farther. This is our commitment to the Filipino people and nation ... Tama na! Sobra na (Enough! This is too much)!” Villanueva said.

He promised that the protest action would be “absolutely peaceful” and “nonviolent.”

“[Government officials] cannot use it to justify the imposition of martial law or emergency rule,” he said.

‘All levels of action’

Paterno said he would meet on Friday with other members of the FSGO executive committee—Deles, former Social Security System chair Karina David, economist Jesus Estanislao and former Philippine Tourism Authority General Manager Nixon Kua—to draw up an action plan.

Deles said the FSGO had begun brainstorming with civil society groups to plan “all levels of action,” including street protests, legal and parliamentary steps, and political alliance-building.

She said the groups were gearing for yet another big rally against Charter change, and that a group called “Busina para sa Demokrasya” was to kick off Thursday night a protest campaign for motorists to blow their horns outside Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.

Deles called on the people to take action even in the comfort of their homes by writing to their lawmakers, speaking out on the issue, and enlightening others about Charter change.

“The administration has many evil strategies in the works. We can’t allow even one more day of term extension,” she said.

Deles said she and her colleagues were consulting with law expert Fr. Joaquin Bernas on how to challenge HR 1109 and the proper time to do it, “so we will not play into [the administration’s] devious hands.”

Joining forces

Villanueva, who made an unsuccessful run for the presidency in 2004, aired plans for his coalition to join forces with the political opposition in protest actions.

He also said he spoke on the phone on Wednesday with Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, who “encouraged us to go on with our plan preparing for a massive mobilization pursuant to protecting the national interest.”

Asked if he intended to again seek the presidency in 2010, Villanueva said Thursday’s forum was not the proper venue to discuss his political plans.

Instead, he urged other presidential hopefuls to “set aside their ambitions at this point.”

“The reality is, if [Charter change pushes through], there could be no elections,” he said.

Villanueva, whose son is a party-list representative, added that his coalition was preparing to come out with the list of congressmen who voted for the passage of HR 1109.

He said these congressmen voted viva voce and not individually because they did not want to be identified as having “brazenly supported a diabolical resolution.”

He added that the public should “blacklist” these congressmen.

At Camp Aguinaldo, Armed Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the military was not worried that Lim’s remarks might instigate restiveness among the troops.

“The AFP will remain nonpolitical and professional …We will not allow anyone to use the military for any personal or political ambitions,” Brawner said. With a report from Jocelyn R. Uy