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Saturday, July 30, 2005
Roxas: GMA confers with Capampangan editors
By Fred Roxas
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred for more than one hour with the officers of the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (Cami) at the Music Room in Malacañang last Tuesday where she bared her decision to conduct an aggressive campaign in the provinces on her proposal in Congress to amend the Constitution.
Tuesday or the day following the President's State of the Nation Address, media representatives were not allowed to enter Malacañqang and only very few visitors were seen, one of them Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin who talked very briefly with the President while they were standing outside the music room.
I happened to be with the Cami officers being its auditor who talked with the President while Press secretary Ignacio Bunye was taking note. Nobody was allowed inside the music room, even Malacañang photographers.
The exclusive meeting with Cami officers led by Manila Bulletin's Cris Icban Jr. as chairman, Philippine Star's Dick Pascual as president and Manila Times' Fred dela Rosa as vice-president was very cordial with their Cabalen appealing to them to help her explain to their readers and television viewers the need to change the country's political system to parliamentary/federal form of government.
She said under the present system of government, politicians have not been able to give the best services to their constituents.
I asked the President about her announcement in Clark economic zone recently that the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) would be transferred in this former US military facility. She said it would be pushed through as planned "although it will take more time because necessary funds for the transfer will be appropriated in next year's national budget" which she estimated to reach some one trillion pesos.
The planned transfer of DOTC to Clark zone was one the President's priority programs which include decongesting Metro Manila, construction of the nautical highway and extending electricity in the countryside. She said she would like to be remembered in accomplishing these projects.
The following day, Wednesday, the President held a press conference and most of the members of the Malacañang Press Corps complained that they were allowed to ask only 10 questions in a limited time.
*****
Over extraction of groundwater has been causing the shrinking of lands and aggravating flooding in Central Luzon. This was bared by scientists Kelvin Rodolfo and Fernando Siringan during the last Friday, the first day of the two-day Integrated Management Summit held at the Hilltop Restaurant in Clark Special Economic Zone.
An expert on water management suggested a change in the use of water among households. He noted that potable water is used both for drinking and flushing toilets.
Rodolfo said lands in Western Luzon shrink by almost nine centimeters per year. He added that despite declining rainfall, flooding continues to worsen around the northern end of Manila Bay.
The two scientists noted that global warming causes the ocean surface to rise by only two millimeters per year compared to local subsidence rate of almost nine centimeters. They added that urbanization and deforestation are usually blamed, but such have less impact than local sea level rise.
"All natural causes of subsidence are dwarfed by excessive ground water withdrawal," they added.
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Pampanga senior provincial board member Lilia G. Pineda, wife of suspected gambling lord Bong Pineda issued a statement denying vehemently accusations that she distributed P2 million each to regional directors of the Commission on Election during a meeting with President Arroyo at a Manila hotel before the last elections.
Pineda refuted an accusation by confessed "jueteng" bagwoman Sandra Cam that she has witnesses to testify that Pineda distributed the money to the Comelec officials in full view of Mrs. Arroyo.
Some Comelec regional directors have denied reports that they received money from Pineda before the elections.
(July 30, 2005 issue)
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