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Thursday, April 06, 2006
Arroyo won't follow Thai premier's example
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would not do a Thaksin.
This was the message of Malacañang following the decision of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to step down from office to diffuse the political crisis in Thailand.
Presidential adviser for political affairs Gabriel Claudio said the situation in the Philippines is different from Thailand and the President does not need to follow the lead of her counterpart.
"She has a mandate to keep and for the sake of the country, she will not (step down). Developments in Thailand are unique and peculiar to itself. The Philippines is a different story and situation altogether," he said.
Claudio said prospects of national stability, harmony, and economic progress are "vivid and real" with Arroyo's continued stay in office.
He said the program for sustained political and economic reforms and vibrancy of the Arroyo administration are now firmly taking root while the opposition and those trying to boot her out of office have yet to present any alternative either in leadership or government agenda.
"Filipinos are tired of political bickering and confrontation that is why despite relentless agitation by the opposition, there is no upheaval against the President or government,"" he added. He said there are "no active outrage" against Arroyo and "no environment of gloom and pessimism" in the Philippines because there are "a lot of positive developments."
Claudio said Malacañang expects the opposition to draw a parallelism between Arroyo and Shinawatra. "That's most predictable but I don't think they will succeed," he said.
Asked whether the Thai situation would show that a parliamentary system was a better alternative, he said: "That's one way of looking at it. That's why we are continuing to pursue the Charter change campaign."
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said just because Arroyo follows Thaksin's economic policy, or "Thaksinomics", doesn't mean that Arroyo should follow his example and quit also. He said Arroyo has not called up Thaksin to ask how he is doing because it is not the nature of heads of state to do so.
On reports that it was Thailand's King Bhumibol who persuaded Shinawatra to resign, Ermita said although the Philippines doesn't have a king, there are other personalities who may have a moral ascendancy on the President.
He said during the Edsa 1 revolt in 1986, that personality was Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin but he is unsure who it could be now. He said he doesn't think new Manila Archbishop Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales would intervene because Pope Benedict XVI has ordered the clergy to stay out of politics.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, for his part, said Arroyo has every intention of fulfilling her mandate until 2010 and she would not turn her back on this mandate or the people who voted for her in the last elections.
Bunye, who is also Presidential spokesman, added that it is improper to compare the situation in the Philippines and in Thailand.
He also said Arroyo also opted to keep mum on the situation in Thailand as it is not right for any country to comment or meddle in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation.
In Pampanga, Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said the set-up in Thailand is different from that in the Philippines. He said Thailand, for one, is already under a parliamentary form of government where the Prime Minister could be changed by a vote of lack of confidence.
De Venecia said this is the reason the administration is pushing for Charter change. But he said the Philippines cannot follow the Thai example.
Thaksin said Tuesday that he would step down from office as soon as a new prime minister is named. He said he would be the "caretaker prime minister" until then.
He initially called for a snap election to diffuse street protests and suggested the formation of a council composed of judges, academicians, and political leaders who would study and come up with a political solution to the crisis. He said he is willing to resign if that is what the group would recommend.
Thai opposition had demanded for the Prime Minister's resignation following allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
In the Philippines, opposition and critics of Arroyo are also calling for her resignation following controversies, including alleged cheating in the 2004 presidential elections.
Impeachment and street protests, including alleged coup plots, had been launched against Arroyo. (JMR/Sunnex)
(April 6, 2006 issue)
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