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Monday, July 24, 2006
Arroyo to avoid ‘political noise’
First, there were paper boats marked with the dreams of three children: for a good job, a home of their own, a chance to go to school. The year after that, the idea of “a strong republic.”
This year, for her sixth State of the Nation Address (SONA), President Arroyo will focus on the economy, particularly “strong local economies.”
“The people are tired of politics and the President is, too,” said Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye.
“This Sona will not be a political speech. It will not be a highly rhetorical speech. It will be about what the people want: a clear economic direction for the nation and a plan detailing how we are going to get there,” he said.
Her local allies said they hope she will be honest, transparent and straightforward.
Deputy House Speaker Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north) said he hopes the President will use the Sona as an opportunity to explain to the Filipinos her mega-regions concept, and how she intends to spur economic development in the provinces.
Come clean
Yet aside from the usual report on delivery of basic services, Rep. Antonio Yapha (Cebu, 3rd district) said the President should also answer the allegations against her, which resurfaced when a fresh impeachment complaint was filed early this month.
Her critics accuse the President of cheating to win the May 2004 elections, exercising dictatorial powers, massive corruption and links to human rights abuses.
The speaker of the House of Representatives is scheduled to refer the complaint to a House committee soon after Congress resumes session today.
But analysts say the impeachment seems doomed to failure, as Arroyo has emerged stronger than ever.
She has gained more allies in the legislature, defying expectations of pundits who thought she would be ousted soon after the charges of election fraud were raised last year.
Bishops, soldiers
Political science professor Reynaldo Trillana of the church-run University of Santo Tomas said Arroyo and her administration exploited the opposition’s lack of unity and adopted aggressive strategies to handle the crisis.
“They went on the offensive, to manage the crisis in such a way as to divert the attention of the people away from the alleged cheating and towards the debate on changing the Constitution,” he said.
Arroyo has also taken steps to keep the support of the influential Roman Catholic Church and traditionally powerful military.
She “was able to stay in power because of the fact that there are influential social institutions that support her, such as sectors of the church and the military,” said sociologist Antonino Tobias.
“That is why so many pro-military projects and pro-church programs are being implemented in order to maintain the smooth relationship,” he added—referring to a recent increase in the military budget and abolition of the death penalty, a priority for the Catholic Church.
In a major setback for the opposition, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines earlier this month refused to support the impeachment process, describing it as an “unproductive political exercise.”
Record
Even Arroyo’s poll ratings are bouncing back. A nationwide survey by the independent Social Weather Station (SWS) research group in June showed that 34 percent were satisfied with her performance, compared to 29 percent in March.
Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio said that instead of boycotting the Sona, the opposition in Congress should reflect on how many bills they were able to pass and how many other important measures should be passed after the third session of the 13th Congress opens today.
“With their legislative record during the second regular session, what gives them the right to embarrass the President during the SONA?” said Claudio, in reaction to the plans of the opposition, mostly in the Senate, to boycott the annual address.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said that aside from him, among the opposition senators planning to boycott are Sens. Panfilo Lacson, Sergio Osmeña III, Ma. Ana Consuelo Madrigal and Senate President Franklin Drilon.
Sen. Ma. Luisa Ejercito, former president Joseph Estrada’s wife, will read today Estrada’s version of the SONA.
78 votes
The so-called Batasan 5—party-list Reps. Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casino and Joel Virador of Bayan Muna, Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis and Liza Maza of Gabriela—have decided not to attend the SONA either.
They said that if there were four words to describe what President Arroyo would say in the Sona, these would be “fiction, lies and fairy tales.”
The opposition needs to get 78 or one-third of all votes in the 236-member House to have the impeachment complaint submitted directly to the opposition-dominated Senate, so it can conduct an impeachment trial against Arroyo.
Arroyo survived the first impeachment complaint last year when the opposition failed to get enough votes, securing the support of only 51 congressmen.
The opposition’s chances look even slimmer this year.
Still, Yapha said President Arroyo should report on the true state of the country.
Budget
“Ang tinuoray lang gyud unta na kahimtang sa nasod ang iyang isulti. Kaning tanan na pasangil sa iya, iya na unta ning tubagon kay mao ra gyud ni ang nakapasamok nato karon ug iya untang tagsa-tagsaon ug explain unsay iyang mga plano ug unsaon pagsulbad ning mga kaguliyang sa atong nasod (She should tell the truth and respond to all allegations. She should also explain what her plans are in solving all these troubles that beset the country),” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) also hopes the President would give to the House Speaker the proposed P1.53 trillion budget of the Executive Department for 2007 before she delivers the Sona.
That way, the Lower House can immediately start the budget hearings.
“At least in a week’s time, we can start holding public hearings and craft the General Appropriations Bill for 2007 very soon,” he said.
Yapha added that aside from enumerating the achievements of her administration, President Arroyo should also include matters she failed to address.
In a separate interview, del Mar said: “I expect there will be a thrust for regional development. It should be presented more comprehensively so all of us will have more information on the concept and the mechanisms involved. Will it be a substitute for the existing regions? That should be explained.”
Both the Senate and the House will convene at 10 a.m. today and will hold a joint session for the President’s SONA at 4 p.m. (LCR/With Sunnex & AFP)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (July 24, 2006 issue)
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