|
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Arroyo wasn’t made to wait, says Bunye
The World Cup finals reportedly gripped even Italy’s top leader that he kept President Arroyo waiting.
But Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye denied that President Arroyo “had to wait 30 minutes” before she could see Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi for their scheduled meeting in Rome last Monday.
In a report from Rome, Philippine Daily Inquirer reporter Armand Nocum said the meeting between Arroyo and Prodi was delayed by 30 minutes to allow the Italian leader to finish watching the World Cup football match between Italy and Australia, which the Italians won 1-0.
The story came out on the upper right corner of the Inquirer’s front page yesterday under the headline “World Cup fever leaves GMA cooling her heels.”
It was also carried as a breaking news item from the Inquirer on INQ7.net under the headline “Arroyo cools heels outside Prodi’s office.”
In a text message sent to the national paper from Europe, Bunye objected strongly to the online headline, saying it was “totally inaccurate, if not downright malicious.”
“As the photo carried in your own front page shows, Prime Minister Prodi was on hand as soon as PGMA (President Arroyo) arrived at the former’s office. At no time was PGMA made to wait,” Bunye said. “The rescheduling of the meeting to a later time was done with prior consultation.”
According to the paper’s online report, Bunye’s message did not say exactly when the Arroyo-Prodi meeting was reset or what time Arroyo arrived at Prodi’s office.
Schedules on official or state visits by dignitaries are usually finalized weeks in advance.
Inquirer said that Nocum, who is covering Arroyo’s Europe trip, was in transit from Italy to Spain and could not be reached immediately for clarification.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 29, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
