Groups seeking President Arroyo's ouster through another bloodless revolt have failed to get popular support because of "people power fatigue", a sociologist said.
Sociologist Josephine Aguilar said many Filipinos are pessimistic about conducting another "People Power" revolt similar to mass actions in 1986 and 2001 that deposed presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada.
"People power fatigue na nga ito. Kapag kinausap mo ang mga tao napapagod na sila dahil paulit-ulit ang nangyayari at pare-pareho din ang mga taong involved, malalaking tao (This is people power fatigue. If you would talk to the people, they would say they are already tired because [these kind of controversies] are just going in circles, with the same people involved, big people)," Aguilar said.
She noted that the bishops' call for "communal action" amid the latest corruption scandal affecting the Arroyo administration is too general.
"Masyadong generalized ang statement. 'Di specific kung ano ang ibig sabihin. Unless sabihin nila na lumabas sa kalsada, 'yun ang malinaw (The [CBCP statement] was too general. It's not specific. Unless they tell the people to go out into the streets, that's clear)," she said.
Activist groups renewed calls for Mrs. Arroyo's ouster recently after a Senate witness revealed First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo's possible involvement in the multimillion-dollar broadband deal between the government and China's ZTE Corp.
On Monday only a few ralliers arrived for a street protest outside the Senate building in Pasay City, which coincided with the hearing on the ZTE-NBN deal inquiry.
Several people interviewed by ABS-CBN said they were unsure if the Senate inquiry would amount to anything.
"Sino ba naman ang aaming may kasalanan? Bahala na sila diyan. Wala naman kaming mapapala diyan," said one bystander.
(Who is going to admit that he was wrong? We leave it up to [the Senate]. We won't get anything out of it.]
Another bystander noted that the Senate conducts hearing after hearing everytime there is news about alleged corruption in government. "If there is a new issue, the old scandal would be forgotten. I just hope that something good would come out of this," he noted.
In London, several overseas Filipino workers who watched Monday's Senate hearing on the NBN deal said they are fed up with renewed calls for Mrs. Arroyo's resignation.
OFW Abel Canlas said Filipinos are just tired of the neverending congressional investigations, which is why Congress is not getting enough cooperation from many sectors.
He said that instead of calling for the President's ouster, progressive groups should start thinking about accepting the administration's offer of reconciliation.
Bertie Lim, executive director of the Makati Business Club, meanwhile, said his group is supporting calls for Mrs. Arroyo's resignation.
He, however, the group would have to consult other groups, including the Church before they actually move against Mrs. Arroyo.
Civil society groups have scheduled a series of protest actions in the coming days to support Senate witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada's revelations about the botched NBN deal and his alleged abduction. With reports from TV Patrol and ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
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