Tuesday, February 26, 2008 Glo 'summoned' guvs, mayors to Malacañang
MUNICIPAL mayors in the country yesterday reaffirmed their support to the leadership of embattled President Arroyo.
Dumanjug Mayor Cesar “Sarsi” Baricuatro confirmed that the mayors handed over their manifesto of support to President Arroyo during a social gathering at the Malacañang.
Aside from the mayors, governors from different provinces in the country also attended the gathering. But it was unconfirmed whether the governors also issued a manifesto of support to the President.
No politics
Baricuatro, who is the president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Cebu chapter, clarified in an earlier interview that the President is not conducting a loyalty check among chief executives of the cities, towns, and provinces.
Baricuatro said they were invited at the Malacañang by the President for a social gathering and not to check on their loyalty.
No political issues were discussed, he stressed. The mayors and governors had lunch and dined with the President, he added.
Of the 53 mayors in Cebu, Baricuatro and Boljoon Mayor Deogenes Derama were the only ones present during the gathering at the Palace.
Baricuatro explained that he was in Manila for a leadership training conducted by the Department of Agriculture last week.
He is scheduled to return to Cebu today.
Baricuatro said he and Derama were invited to attend a gathering at the Palace, so they gave in to the request of the President.
Asked if LMP-Cebu chapter remains loyal to the President, Baricuatro said the league has not yet issued a collective stand.
But if he is to be asked, he said that it would be better for the critics of the President to wait until Arroyo finishes her term in 2010.
While saying that everybody wants the truth behind the NBN deal scandal, Baricuatro called on the public to “let the law take its proper course.”
Over the weekend, President Arroyo admitted that she was warned about irregularities in the multibillion-peso deal with ZTE Corp. in China the night before she had to sign it.
Steps
But President Arroyo told radio dzRH on Saturday that her administration has taken steps against corruption, like increasing the budget of the Office of the Ombudsman and involving various groups in monitoring government procurement.
For his part, Baricuatro said he respects the inquiry conducted by the Senate on the national broadband deal “in aid of legislation” since he said it is only proper to probe government projects believed to be anomalous.
But Baricuatro said he is not supporting the call for the President to quit.
“Hindi ako kumporme ‘dyan. Wait until the truth will come out,” he said.
Anyway, said Baricuatro, he doesn’t see any indication that President Arroyo will step down from office just because of the political bickering and allegations of irregularities in government.
And for the “good of the country,” Baricuatro appealed to the public to follow the rule of law. Otherwise, he said, if the President is illegally forced to resign, people will suffer with the expected economic fallout.
“Remember that we have a Constitution. Let us follow the Constitution. Let us follow the rule of law,” said Baricuatro.
Baricuatro also said it was improper for the Catholic Church leaders to urge their followers to go out into the streets and join the rallies calling for the resignation of the President.
He questioned the way Church leaders urged their faithful to unite and demand for the resignation of the President when they themselves are disunited. (GMD)
