THE political opposition and various anti-Arroyo groups are readying more mass actions to press for President Arroyo's resignation, Adel Tamano, spokesman of the United Opposition, said yesterday.

The protest actions are also meant for the "truth" to come out in government's national broadband network project whose price was allegedly bloated by payoffs and other anomalies.

The rallies would not be limited to Metro Manila.

One is set for March 8 to coincide with celebrations for International Women's Day, to be led by the group Gabriela.

Tamano expressed belief that last Friday's interfaith prayer rally in Makati City would have a "snowballing" effect.

Rally organizers placed the crowd at 70,000 to 80,000 but the police figure was 15,000 to 20,000.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the disparity in the crowd estimates showed that the so-called search for truth "can never be based on opinion."

"More so, it can never be based on innuendo and hearsay. The more we rely on opinion, and worse, on innuendo and hearsay, the farther we will be away from the truth," he said.

Bunye said neither the organizers nor the police attempted to get the actual area occupied by the interfaith crowd and multiplied it by the crowd density.

Sergio Apostol, presidential legal counsel, said the rally organizers should be careful with mass actions as they might be used by politicians with personal interests.

He also said only a few from the clergy are supporting Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Senate witness in the NBN-ZTE deal, who said Church leaders have assured him they would support him until the end.

Apostol also said the Arroyo administration has nothing to worry about, judging from the police estimate of the size of the interfaith crowd.

Tamano expressed confidence more people will participate in protest actions and other similar expressions of discontent against the Arroyo administration, saying momentum is now on the side of those pressing for "truth and justice." He compared the turnout in a prayer rally last February 15, which had about 15,000 participants, to last Friday's rally.

"Nakikita na natin ang snow-balling effect. which means sa mga susunod na rally, mas malaki ang sasama. Nagkakaroon na tayo ng critical mass ng mga tao," he said.

Similar gatherings took place Friday in Davao City, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Baguio, Dagupan, Naga, Legazpi, Sorsogon, and even in Lubao, Pampanga, Arroyo's hometown.

Tamano said that what tipped the balance in favor of anti-Arroyo groups was the increasing number of participants from the youth, particularly the student sector.

He said the participating students were not all from militant groups.

Among schools represented in the rally were UP, De La Salle University, Ateneo, University of Sto. Tomas, Adamson University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the Philippine Christian University.

The Leftist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said the participation of many sectors in the interfaith rally is a strong message to Malacañang that people want the truth in the NBN-ZTE deal and reforms in the Arroyo government which has continuously been accused of corruption.

The rally was also the "strongest rejection yet so far of the Arroyo regime," said Renato Reyes, Bayan secretary general.

He said Bayan and allied groups are joining the March 8 rally. Organizers are meeting today to determine the venue and discuss ways to prevent the police from blocking their contingents in the provinces, like what happened last Friday. - With Regina Bengco