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Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Glo in (spiritual) retreat in Cebu, not in hiding
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
CEBU CITY -- On the eve of the canvassing of votes in Congress for the presidential and vice presidential race, President Arroyo made an unscheduled visit to Cebu both for "rest and prayer."
She spent most of her time at the Carmelite Monastery, even keeping vigil with monks and nuns up to yesterday morning when a 6 a.m. mass was said for her, Cerge Remonde, K4 media bureau chief, said in a press briefing at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.
At 8 a.m., Arroyo accepted as visitor, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, whom she talked with for an hour "on the state of affairs in the country and on calls for national unity and reconciliation."
Vidal, whom the opposition approached to report poll cheating by the administration, "accepted to play a very important role" in efforts for unity," Remonde said.
The cardinal and the President also took up a common concern: the fight against illegal drugs.
Arroyo, who arrived in Cebu past 8 p.m. Sunday, also scheduled an informal talk with Cebu's business and political leaders at 7 last night. (See main story, 1)
"It will be for goodwill, for thanksgiving, for reaching out, for listening to the respected entrepreneurs of Cebu," Remonde said.
It was the first time Arroyo left the Palace for an out-of-town function after the elections. The President's first official out-of-the-Palace activity was last May 24 when she attended the proclamation of the 11 winning senators at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Since the May 10 elections, she stayed in Malacañang, focusing on courtesy and farewell calls of ambassadors, holding thanksgiving luncheons for the media and her supporters like the transport sector, the Bicol governors and Liberal Party members.
Remonde denied that Arroyo came to Cebu to prepare for her oath-taking following recommendations from administration supporters for the ceremony to be held either in Cebu or Iloilo.
He said Arroyo does not want to talk about the oath-taking as the joint Congress has yet to proclaim the winners in the presidential and vice presidential race.
Arroyo's sudden visit was also not intended for her to be away from Manila, where speculations of a military coup are circulating.
"It was somehow a spontaneous decision of the President. Speculations are speculations. There is no basis for those speculations. If the threats are that bad, I don't think she would venture going out of Manila," Remonde told Cebu reporters, who like the Malacañang press corps, were surprised with yesterday's developments.
Remonde also denied that Arroyo is repeating what former president Corazon Aquino did in 1986.
"The only similarity is they stayed in the same monastery but the circumstances are different," he added citing that Arroyo is even escorted by mostly her female presidential guards.
"It is a spiritual journey, where she wants to spend time in thanksgiving for the peaceful elections and in prayer for the canvassing," he described Arroyo's trip to Cebu, adding that "governance" is also part of the President's agenda.
Arroyo will leave for Carcar at 9 a.m. today to inspect a P500-million irrigation project there.
She will go back to the monastery to rest afterwards.
The decision to come to Cebu, which gave her a huge margin in the May 10 polls, is not symbolic of anything but only because the province is known as the "spiritual capital" of the country, Remonde said.
After he declared that the opposition should "not associate Cebu with cheating," Remonde called in Paul Hubahib, spokesperson of Barug Pilipino, to counter the allegations against the Cebuanos."
Vidal himself, he added, relayed to Arroyo the uproar of the Cebuanos over the allegations of election fraud hurled by Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen.
With the President "happy" over the turnout, Remonde said Cebuanos could expect more projects and programs for the province. with Sunnex
(June 1, 2004 issue)
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