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Friday, August 04, 2006
Arroyo no show in Iloilo affair
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
ILOILO CITY -- Speculations on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's poor health conditions was heightened among officials from Negros and Iloilo as she failed to show up in Thursday's awarding ceremonies of the 1st Best Public Sector Projects search in Western Visayas.
The President was to have been the guest and keynote speaker in the ceremonies organized by the Regional Development Council (RDC) Western Visayas at the Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center.
Presidential Chief of Staff Michael "Mike" Defensor, who just came from Cebu City, substituted for her behalf.
He was quick to downplay rumors that the President is "gravely ill" as what the opposition is saying.
"My Madam President is not gravely ill. She's doing okay now," he asserted in his speech before Western Visayas governors, mayors, directors of national line agencies and media people.
On July 28, four days after her State of the Nation Address (Sona), the 54-year-old Arroyo was rushed to the St. Luke's Hospital in Quezon City for flu.
She was confined for two days.
It was also the second time that she was confined in the said hospital.
The first was on June 22 when she also suffered from acute diarrhea.
Defensor admitted that the President's two successive confinement in the hospital had caused a lot worries among traders and investors in the country.
"The President is already aware that in case she will be hospitalized for the third time, it will really create havoc in the country's economy. That's why she had already agreed with us to limit her working trips and daily appointments to let her relax while still functioning as the country's manager," he said.
Defensor relayed to the Negrense and Ilonggo officials how the President was downed by flu last week.
He said that days prior her Sona, the President had always slept late at night or very early in the morning because she, herself, wrote and reviewed her speech-report.
"I know how she really worked hard for her Sona that earned praises not only from the administration people but even from the opposition. Imagine, she was made to sleep at 3 a.m. or 5 a.m. just to gather data to supplement her report until the final review. She's a very, very and very workaholic President."
After the Sona, Defensor said the President was also made to welcome the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from Lebanon at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for about three nights.
"Her flu was simply caused by over-fatigue," Defensor continued.
As to the rumors that President Arroyo is allegedly suffering from lopus or cirrhosis of the liver, he defended by saying, "This is totally a lie."
Impeachment
Defensor, meanwhile, is confident that none of the impeachment cases filed against the President last week will prosper.
"We are confident that these impeachment cases are still the same as of last year and so they don't have any bearing at all," he assured Western Visayas officials.
He also said he already talked with his counterpart from the opposition, Sorsogon Representative Francis "Chiz" Escudero regarding impeachment matter.
"Chiz promised that if the new impeachment cases against President Arroyo won't prosper, both of us will move towards greater action for the benefit of the country," he said.
Investing for Army and police
As to the allegation that President Arroyo is planning of declaring Martial law after she invested a huge budget for the police and army, Defensor said, "No truth on it."
The President, he clarified gave plenty of budget for both the PNP and the army because she wanted to invest for national security and peace and order as the key factors toward development in the country.
She believes that if the country is not peaceful and the national security is shaky, then no investors will come that will mean no development, no jobs for Filipinos.
(August 4, 2006 issue)
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