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Wednesday, February 11, 2004
FPJ offers only first details on econ program
MANILA—Fernando Poe Jr. gave his first vague details yesterday about how he planned to tackle the country’s economic problems, but he may as well have yelled, “Lights, camera, action!”
Over 20,000 cheering fans packed into the Cuneta Astrodome as the Sex Bomb dancers gyrated on stage to herald Poe’s entrance.
The presidential aspirant and political neophyte promised to fight the poverty that he described as the “greatest scandal in our history.”
Poe did not refer directly to the numerous economic problems that wrack the nation, but tried to allay concerns that he was unqualified for the job.
He also refrained from attacking President Arroyo, who has emphasized her greater government experience over her main rival.
Unlike Poe, Arroyo hit the trail with a low-key launch to just over 1,000 people in Southern Luzon, telling supporters she was claiming “the moral high ground, the political high ground.”
“Like you, I don’t have stature,” the 56-year-old economist said, referring to her height. “That’s why I understand your concerns—jobs, prices, education, health and housing.”
Mass with Sin
The streets of Manila were decked out with colorful campaign posters for presidential, vice presidential and senatorial candidates. Radio stations began airing paid campaign spots.
Former senator Raul Roco attended a private morning mass at the home of Jaime Sin, the outspoken retired cardinal of Manila who helped ease both Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada from power.
Meanwhile, a convoy of about 500 cars, trucks and motorcycles assembled on the Diosdado Macapagal Ave. in a show of force for Panfilo Lacson, Estrada’s former police chief.
The two other presidential candidates, television evangelist Eddie Villanueva and businessman Eddie Gil, together account for just 1.1 percent of the polls.
Polls have shown Poe to be well ahead in the presidential race, but his failure to explain his business policies have led to uncertainty in the business sector and hit the foreign exchange and stock markets.
In an attempt to bolster his business reputation, Sen. Vicente Sotto, a spokes-man of Poe’s Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino, promised that Poe will name his economic advisers by next week.
Covenant
His party released a “social covenant” after his speech and gave some clues on
Poe’s position on economic issues.
To remedy the country’s chronic budget deficit, Poe said government must carry out “drastic cost-cutting measures on non-essential expenditures” and “institute bold tax reforms to improve revenue collection.”
Poe also said government must ensure “food security” by increasing funds for rural infrastructure and using foreign aid to finance low-interest credit windows for farmers and fishermen.
He also said the government would boost health insurance coverage to 90 percent of the population by 2007 but did not elaborate. He also said the police should be cleaned of “rogue elements.”
The covenant called for “an in-depth review” on reforming the presidential system to a parliamentary one.
But the tone of the Poe campaign was set not so much by what he said, as by what his camp did. Stage directors, production staff and television crews with prompt cards hurled instructions to Poe’s 12 senatorial candidates, who waved and danced as they were ushered in to deliver speeches for the movie star. (AFP)
(February 11, 2004 issue)
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