Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra and about 8,000 other Negrenses gathered at the Bacolod public plaza yesterday to say "never again" to martial law and Proclamation 1017 that, they warned, spell the death of democracy in the country.

Navarra said the black armbands, which he and the other members of the clergy wore at the rally, "stood for the death of human rights, liberal and free space for people to speak out and air their grievances, and, in a sense, also the death of democracy."

The prayer rally for the nation was called by Navarra who reiterated that Negrenses want the president to resign, but stopped short of calling for her to do so himself.

The crowd at yesterday's rally is a sign that "a good portion of Negrenses are really against the way Gloria is running the government," he said.

Numerous placards calling for the ouster of the president were seen at the rally.

Fr. Aniceto Buenafe, head of the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Bacolod, estimated the crowd that marched to the Bacolod public plaza yesterday at 8,000, composed of priests, parishioners from various parts of the Diocese of Bacolod, students, members of civil society, government officials, civic leaders, lawyers, non government organization workers and militant groups.

The rallyists, however, thinned out when they reached the plaza as many sought shelter from the heat.

Organizers had earlier said they expected a crowd of 20,000.

Senior Supt. Pedro Merced, Bacolod police director, said his intelligence people placed the crowd at the plaza at 3,000, but it could have been larger during the march.

At the rally, representatives of various sectors took turns in praying for the nation and Navarra lit a candle of hope.

Felipe Levy Gelle, Bayan Negros secretary general, said that, despite Arroyo's lifting of Proclamation of 1017, the reign of terror continues as democratic right s of the people continue to be attacked.

He urged the people to be vigilant, saying, "We should never be cowed."

Ben Sollilapsi of Alab Katipunan said they joined yesterday's rally to say never again to martial law or to any other repressive proclamations that will curtail human rights.

"We will never be cowed by any threats from GMA in our campaign for economic and political reforms," Sollilapsi said.*CPG

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