Friday, January 13, 2006
Palace allies reject survey showing Filipinos want Arroyo out
"MISLEADING and inconclusive."
This were the descriptions given by pro-Palace allies in the House of Representatives to a recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), which showed that majority of the Filipinos want President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to leave her office before any changes in the Constitution are initiated.
Representatives Eduardo Zialcita of Parañaque City and Mauricio Domogan of Baguio City said the 54 percent of the 1,200 Filipinos asked to respond in the survey who favored the President's early exit does not represent the sentiments of the majority of the Filipinos.
The real basis that should be looked at, according to the congressmen, is on how the people refused to side with the opposition and other anti-Arroyo forces to bring her administration down.
"If the survey results are to be believed, why didn't the people move for the ouster of the President at the height of the crisis last year. The opposition and anther anti-Arroyo forces played their role as devil's advocates to the hilt yet they failed to rally the people. This alone provides a strong contradiction to the SWS survey," they said.
And while allies of Arroyo insisted that she still enjoys the support of the people, opposition congressmen believed otherwise.
For Bayan Muna party-list Congressman Joel Virador, the people have been consistent with their stand that the President should step down, and that Arroyo should heed such call.
The consistent survey report, he added, had indicated the people's clamor for Arroyo to step down.
"The survey mirrors the people's want. Apparently, the anti-Arroyo sentiment never waned and the people still want her out of power. It is time for the President to listen to the voice of the people to pave the way for genuine reconciliation," he said.
Virador also said the longer the President insists on staying in power, the more chaotic political scenario the country will experience.
"The survey signified that the people want Mrs. Arroyo totally out of public service. Diverting the people's will would only cause public unrest and never ending political tumult," he added. (DBP/Sunnex)
(January 13, 2006 issue)
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