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Tuesday, May 18, 2004
Roco concedes to Arroyo
* Palace welcomes gesture
AFTER placing fifth in partial and unofficial count of votes by the National Citizen's Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), Alyansa ng Pag-asa presidential bet Raul Roco has conceded defeat to President Arroyo in the presidential race.
Malacañang, for its part, welcomed Roco's move.
"At 3:52 this afternoon, I congratulated President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the mandate she has received from the people as indicated by published results," Roco said.
However, the 62-year-old former education secretary has vowed to continue working for a moral regime in the country.
Roco has started speaking for moral regime when he came back last month from a medical check-up in the US following chronic back pain caused by a recurrent prostate cancer.
"In so doing I commit to continue working for a new moral regime in our country. That is the responsibility of government and the private sector. It is time to get into the mainstream of development in this shrinking global village where knowledge, talent and creativity can still make a difference for the Filipino People," Roco added.
Roco warned the Arroyo Government of economic slowdown as "one of the biggest burdens caused by the misuse of public and private funds."
On the other hand, he asked all losing candidates to show support and adequate evidence on alleged electoral fraud that they earlier claimed to have happened.
"The Aksyon Demokratiko will stand by its commitment to all other parties to document these acts of fraud. The rule of law must prevail," he also said.
Before conceding, Roco lauded President Arroyo for showing commitment to the rule of law and fair elections as shown in the case of Grace Padaca.
"The specific case of Grace Padaca, gubernatorial candidate in Isabela leading by all published reports by as much as 30,000 votes over an entrenched feudal political leader, becomes the measure of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's commitment to the rule of law," Roco said.
"For now, a sober effort to get the country going should be the agenda of every Filipino," he added.
Meanwhile, Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Malacañang is hoping that the other candidates would follow Roco's move.
"The President appreciates the most gentlemanly gesture of Secretary Roco and wishes that all other similarly situated candidates, whether for President or for other positions, would emulate him," he said.
"Absent any documented irregularities or fraud, the results of the democratic process should be respected. The sooner we can leave the highly partisan atmosphere of the elections behind, the sooner we can move on with our task of nation-building," he added. JPM/JMR
(May 18, 2004 issue)
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