Local execs behind Arroyo

The 1.5 million members of the Union of Local Authorities in the Philippines are supporting President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo following her admission and apology for calling a Commission on Election official after last year's election.

ULAP president and Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado yesterday said they admire the President for having the courage to admit to the controversial wiretapped conversation and for feeling sorry for what she did.

Aumentado said Arroyo showed an act of "statesmanship and humility" when she made the public admission and apology last Monday evening.

After the President's address, Aumentado said he and the ULAP board agreed to reaffirm their support for the President.

"Talagsaon nga ang usa ka lider mipakita sa pagkamapahiubsanon," Aumentado told dyLA.

Aumentado said that ULAP believes that Arroyo did not violate any law in calling a Comelec official because it did not at all affect the result of the canvassing. He said the call was made after the canvassing in the municipalities.

He said that during her call, the President just wanted to protect her votes, adding that the exit polls had already shown that Arroyo won over the late Fernando Poe, Jr.

Aumentado calls on the people to give the President a chance to implement reforms for the country. "Let us rally behind the Constitution and duly constituted authority, " he said.

Aumentado explained it was enough that Arroyo has already admitted and asked for forgiveness, saying that there was no basis to impeach the President on the ground of her admission.

Meanwhile, Mayor Tomas Osmeña disagreed with Arroyo's admission over the wiretapped tape but said he is still supporting the President.

"She should not step down. She should not have apologized as far as I'm concerned. I already gave her a warning. This will be the end of it. Let the Cebuanos be aware we're falling into a trap," Osmeña said.

In his regular news conference yesterday morning, Osmeña said there was nothing wrong in talking to a Comelec official, citing his experience during the election period.

"But you know where the trap is? She has to do the penance. But no one has called for an investigation on the illegal wiretapping. No one's to take care of that. They wiretapped the President of the Philippines and no one is running after all of them," he said.

"These people should be shot. It just goes to show that they can wiretap the mayor and everyone else in Cebu that's why I'd like to shoot all of them. The President set the tone. That's why I said she should never have apologized. They're trying to exploit this," the mayor added.

Nevertheless, the mayor believes the move to impeach the President will not prosper considering that the evidence came from an illegal source.

When asked to give an overview of his State-of-the-City Address at the City Council on Friday, the mayor said he would tell the Cebuanos that enemies of the citizenry are not just the enemies of the President.

Osmeña lambasted the Congress for investigating almost every issue when no move has been taken to amend or modify the 1991 Local Government Code, which is supposed to be reviewed every five years.

For conducting countless probes, the mayor said Congress, now becomes the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

"There is (Department of Transportation and Communication Undersecretary) Bert Emphasis who dictates to the mayors and governors to shut up. How did he get to that position, heaven knows," Osmeña said.

If the people would not stand up for the President and would just leave the country into the hands of government officials and allies of the President, Osmeña said nothing will happen to this country.

"If they will say I am a GMA fanatic, I am not. I'm just being practical. She has many people around her that I consider enemies. And to change (replace) her, it's worse," Osmeña said.