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Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Arroyo continues economic reforms, fight vs. corruption (11:50 a.m.)
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told foreign investors in Hong Kong that the political attacks against her administration will not derail her economic programs, even as she defended her government's moves to curb corruption.
Arroyo, in her speech at the 11th Asian Investment Conference (AIC) at the Conrad Hotel in Hong Kong, said she is aware that those in Hong Kong are familiar with the political developments in the Philippines, the Special Administrative Region being very close to Manila.
"The political environment will not force us to do anything we do not think is in the best interests of the nation," she said.
But she said the economic environment dictates that government provides a buffer to the poor who suffer most from rapidly rising prices.
"We will continue on the path of reform and economic discipline; the near-term pain will provide long-term gain for our nation. It may not be popular, but it is setting the nation on a new course," she said.
She said she will stay focused on economic reforms "while providing peace, order, and stability" until her term ends in 2010.
Arroyo said her government is taking the issue of corruption "seriously" because she is aware as an economist that a strong economy is transparent and corruption-free.
"We are freeing ourselves of the shackles of corruption evidenced by our growing economy -- which is increasingly free of corruption and inefficiency," she said.
She added that the government is spending billions of pesos on the government's investigative arm to weed out corruption.
She said she has also asked Congress to pass a Comprehensive Anti-Corruption Reform Act in 2008.
"We will hold officials accountable if they are found to be corrupt. For our part, any allegations of wrong doing go straight to the independent Ombudsman. We will let the chips fall where they may as investigations are concluded and friend and foe alike are brought to account for their actions," she said.
Protesters calling for her ouster due to allegations of graft and corruption continued to hound Arroyo in Hong Kong.
At the Grand Hyatt Hotel where she met with members of the Filipino community, about 1,000 rallyists gathered to call for her resignation. At the Conrad Hotel where she delivered a speech before the AIC participants, protesters also held a rally against her.
At the open forum shortly after she delivered her speech, Arroyo said having overseas workers is not a sign of a weak economy.
She said other rich countries like New Zealand (25 percent) and Portugal (10 percent) send their people abroad.
She said government is working to make the Philippines a first world country so that its citizens do not have to go abroad just to get a job.
She also dismissed questions about a possible referendum for those in Mindanao who are seeking independence.
"The territorial integrity of our nation is non-negotiable. There has been no demand for that in recent years and I don't think we should encourage a demand," she said.
Arroyo also said the rise of China, the fastest growing economy in the world, has been very beneficial to the Philippines.
"We feel that the rise of China has been very good for the Philippines. We have a very fast-growing trade with China. We believe that so far China has been behaving as a responsible big brother in the neighborhood," she said.
She also said the US-Philippine relations are "stronger than ever" and that both countries are working for peace and development in the southern Philippines.
"The Filipino people are probably the most pro-American people in the world, maybe even more pro-American than the Americans themselves," she said. (JMR/Sunnex) |
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