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Saturday, October 13, 2007
Arroyo to focus on economic gains than politics
* Palace denied ‘cash gifts,’ pork barrels in exchange of junking impeach raps against Arroyo
MANILA –- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Friday she would leave politics to her allies in Congress as she prefers to focus on sustaining the economic gains and in running the country.
Arroyo, at the inauguration of the Bohol irrigation-Bayongan Dam project in San Miguel in Bohol province, said her allies particularly from the Visayas like the Boholanos have always been there for her and she is confident that she could continue to depend on them now.
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She cited the support she got from Boholanos when she first ran for senator in 1992 and again in 1995. Also, when she ran for Vice President in 1998, including the time when her senators ran in 2001 and 2004, and when she ran for the presidency in 2004.
“My level of comfort, my zone of comfort is our economy. In politics, I’m leaving politics in my allies, our solid and reliable political allies including our allies here in Bohol. The governor, our congressmen,” she said.
She added: “We take great pride in the discipline of our administration to focus on the economy and our overall economic health…We’re making sure to invest the (economic) gains, to invest in vital social and economic needs, and we will not sacrifice long term gains for short term political expediency.”
The President said her administration is committed to consolidating the revenue gains by investing them on human and physical infrastructures that would help provide an atmosphere that is more attractive to investors.
According to her, this include investments of billions of pesos in education, healthcare, and training of the people along with billions of pesos spent on new bridges roads, highways, farm-to-market roads, “and irrigation like this (Bayongan Dam) to upgrade the competitiveness of the Philippines.”
She said the Bohol irrigation-Bayongan Dam project, for instance, would benefit at least 5,300 hectares of farmlands.
Another infrastructure program in Bohol, which is being considered to host the expansion of the Hanjin investment in the country, is the completion of a 97-kilometer road to be used for the transport of some 42,000 tons of palay from San Miguel to other parts of the province, added Arroyo.
‘Cash gift’
Palace aides meanwhile denied reports that Malacañang distributed thousands of cash and committed millions worth of pork barrel to administration lawmakers who went to Malacañang for a breakfast meeting last Thursday.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye and Presidential Management Staff director general Cerge Remonde both branded as “rumors” the reports that envelopes containing P200,000 to P500,000 were distributed to the congressmen that belonged to the Lakas Christian Muslim democrats, the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), and Nationalist People’s Coalition in exchange for the junking of the new impeachment complaint filed against the President.
“If rumor-mongering could only generate income, the Philippines would have the highest GDP (gross domestic product) in the world,” Bunye said.
Remonde, who insisted that it (reports) is just a political intrigue, said the administration has a country to run to waste time on such baseless allegations.
Bunye earlier said the impeachment is a distraction that the President could and would ignore as she has more important matters to attend to.
The impeachment complaint was filed last week by former Magdalo lawyer Rafael Pulido.
Pulido accused President Arroyo for betrayal of public trust following her failure to act on the alleged bribery controversies surrounding the cancelled $329 National Broadband Network deal with China firm’s ZTE Corporation.
The complaint was endorsed by Laguna Representative Edgar San Luis, which was transmitted to the committee on rules Thursday by Deputy Speaker Raul del Mar after Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr. inhibited himself from handing the impeachment. (JMR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (October 13, 2007 issue)
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