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Sunday, November 18, 2007
Arroyo, de Venecia together in Singapore for Asean summit
MANILA –- Despite their "rift" over alleged bribes in the national broadband network deal, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. will be together in Singapore for the next five days.
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A Malacañang statement Saturday said de Venecia will accompany Arroyo to Singapore for the 13th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) from November 18 to 22.
It added that House Deputy Speaker Amelita Villarosa, who is linked to bribery in Malacañang, will also be part of the official delegation.
Other members of the presidential delegation include former President Fidel Ramos, as Philippine representative to the Asean Eminent Persons Group, and secretaries Alberto Romulo (foreign affairs), Peter Favila (trade), and Ignacio Bunye (press).
Also in the delegation are Representative Arthur Defensor and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo.
During the Asean summit, Arroyo is expected to bring up issues on environment, including the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems as well as renew her calls for the use of renewable and alternative sources of energy, such as biofuels to soften the effect of high prices of oil in the world market.
Other highlights of the five-day Asean summit are:
* Signing of another important document on Asean Economic Community Blueprint, a master plan that identifies the priority measures and actions to be undertaken to transform Asean into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labor, and freer flow of capital by 2015.
* Discussions on problems on energy, the environment, climate change and sustainable development, and the signing by Asean leaders of a declaration of environmental sustainability to protect and manage the environment, respond to climate change and conserve the region's natural resources.
* Asean leaders also will declare their support for a successful outcome of the negotiation at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali next month, which seeks to pave the way for a climate change roadmap beyond 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol expires.
* Other documents that will be signed at the 13th Asean Summit by Asean Ministers are: the Asean Mutual Recognition Agreement on Architectural Services; the Asean Framework Arrangement on the Mutual Recognition of Surveying Qualifications; and the Protocol to carry out the 6th Package of Commitments under the Asean Framework Agreement on Services.
The alleged rift between Arroyo and de Venecia started when the Speaker’s son, Jose “Joey” de Venecia III, testified before the Senate and claimed that First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo stood to get a bribe in exchange for pushing the broadband deal.
De Venecia III also said President Arroyo ordered the deal approved despite being told that then socio-economic planning secretary Romulo Neri told her that resigned Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. offered Neri a P200-million bribe.
Arroyo and de Venecia however amid these incidents put on a united front last October 11 during a meeting in Malacañang.
Villarosa, on the other hand, is a member of Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), who admitted giving P500,000 cash gifts to at least two pro-administration lawmakers last October 11. Her admission drew the ire of presidential chief legal counsel Sergio Apostol, who said she should be investigated.
Meantime, law enforcement and security in the wake of Tuesday's Batasan blast that killed four people, including Basilan Representative Wahab Akbar, topped the list of "housekeeping" chores that President Arroyo left behind as she leaves for Singapore Sunday. (JMR/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (November 18, 2007 issue)
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