October 6, 2003, The Manila Times, 'I'm running' declaration draws even more fire,

October 6, 2003, The Manila Times, 'I'm running' declaration draws even more fire, 

PRESIDENT Arroyo’s announcement that she would seek a second term continued to draw flak Sunday, with politicians accusing her of insincerity and political stunts.

There were others, however, who said Mrs. Arroyo’s declaration could lead to political stability.

Opposition Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. advised the President to exit “in a blaze of glory” and spend her remaining months in office to heal the wounds of political discord and to carry out lasting reforms.

Pimentel said the President should have held to her promise not to run “no matter what and under the most challenging circumstances.”

“In other countries, public leaders would rather commit hara-kiri [suicide] than break their word or turn their backs on major decisions. They do not take to their commitments lightly and in a cavalier fashion. Honor is a big thing in politics,” he said.

Another critic of President Arroyo, Sen. Tessie Aquino-Oreta, said she had long expected the President’s decision to run simply because she did not believe in her December 30 announce­ment.

“Rather than offering our people a fresh start, electing Mrs. Arroyo to a full term would only mean another six years of more-of-the-same kind of policy drift and political schism that had in the first place pushed our country closer to the brink of a political and economic crises under her watch,” Oreta said.

In Malacañang, presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said it had been expected that the President would be criticized for her decision, but stressed this would not distract her.

“She is prepared to take criticism against her because of her decision, but she believes that the welfare of the country is of higher interest,” Bunye said over DZBB radio.

When the President said last year she would not stand and instead devote her remaining months in office to improve the economy and bring stability to the volatile Philippines, many did not believe her.

It had been widely believed she would announce her change of heart at her Lakas conference next week. The recent defections of political allies are believed to have pushed her to move earlier than planned.

The announcement also appeared timed to gain political leverage from a scheduled October 18 visit by US President George W. Bush, on whose global “war on terrorism” President Arroyo has staked her reputation.

Sen. Edgardo Angara accused the President of insincerity. “We already knew she was running. She was just masquerading all along, a charade. She has been playing with the Filipino people,” Angara said.

He said an opposition coalition formed over the weekend was expected to announce an “unbeatable” challenger to the President in a month’s time.

Among those on the shortlist are the business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former police chief, whose allegations of corruption against the President’s family have pulled down her popularity ratings.

The militant leftist group Sanlakas warned that the President’s decision went against her pronouncements of reconciliation, saying her “retraction contains a strong element of vengeance against her political foes.”

“We will not belabor ourselves reading between the lines the contents of her statement justifying her reversal. We expect it to be full of rhetoric—a political stunt coming from a desperate traditional politician who is pitted against her fellow traditional politicians,” Sanlakas said.

They called the President the “liar queen of Philippine politics.”

But the Employers’ Confederation of the Philippines was more circumspect with its president, Donald Dee, saying, “the move could stabilize financial markets.”

“This is already expected. She just made it official. We welcome the announcement,” Dee said.
-- Ma. Theresa Torres and Sammy Martin, Correspondent