Arroyo government is totally legitimate — US solons

Three American legislators said yesterday they fully recognize the legitimacy of President Arroyo’s administration and expressed support for her leadership.

During a call on President Arroyo at Malacañang, the Republican delegation from the US House of Representatives also cited the Filipino people for standing up to the "dishonest government" of deposed President Joseph Estrada, who was ousted by a military-backed people power II on Jan. 20.

"The President is totally legitimate in her authority," California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said.

He said Mrs. Arroyo has legal authority and that the US government and other governments have fully re-cognized that authority.

Mississippi Rep. Roger Wicker said they were "very impressed" with Mrs. Arroyo, a 53-year-old economist and classmate of former US President Bill Clinton.

"It’s obvious that she stands for democracy and rule of law, something that we like to think we stand for in the US," Wicker said.

The third American lawmaker in the group was Darrell Issa, also of California.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said the delegation expressed its desire to help arrange a future visit by newly installed US President George Bush to Manila "because this has a good impact on the Arroyo government."

Both Bush and Arroyo are offspring of former presidents.

The other night, Rohrabacher labeled Estrada as "communist China’s boy" for allowing himself to be corrupted by "gangsters running the mainland" and selling out the interest of the Filipino people.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., who hosted a dinner for the visiting congressmen and their wives Thursday, appealed to the US government to help the Arroyo administration, especially in attracting investments that would hasten the country’s economic recovery.

The three lawmakers were the first US delegation to visit the Philippines since Estrada’s ouster after 31 months in office.

Rohrabacher said groups questioning the Arroyo presidency were "missing the bigger picture."

"The bigger picture is that the people of the Philippines courageously stood up to a dishonest government led by someone who sold out their interest for his own benefit and to foreign powers like Communist China," he said.

Rohrabacher said the Filipino people have every reason to be proud for taking to the streets "to ensure that they have an honest and democratic government in the future."

The US lawmaker admitted that even the US political system has been corrupted by communist Chinese money.

"We believe even our own president (Clinton) was involved in that, although it has not been proven. Both our countries have new presidents now and we will be working together for honest government, democracy and national security. We will make sure that our countries are prosperous and that all people benefit," he said.

Rohrabacher is no stranger to the Philippines. In 1998, he joined Golez, then a congressman of Parañaque, in conducting an aerial inspection of Mischief Reef, the subject of a heated territorial dispute between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.

He said the territorial dispute is just part of the problem.

"What you have is the communists in China. These gangsters who run the mainland corrupted your president and threatened to use military force to steal your oil and gas reserves, and then they are also selling drugs to your people," Rohrabacher said.

Issa said communist China still poses a very significant threat to democracy in the Philippines.

"We hope the democracies of Asia and the entire world are not taking them lightly. China still poses a threat to all people who believe in the rule of law and democracy," Issa said

Wicker said they are very impressed with Mrs. Arroyo.

"But we are more impressed with what she stands for," he said. "And it’s obvious that she stands for democracy and the rule of law."

Last Thursday night, Belmonte appealed to the US congressmen to help economic progress by hastening the inflow of investments in areas of common interest between the two countries.

"Part of our history is your history, our ideals of freedom and democracy stemmed from yours and withstood severe challenges in good times and bad," the Speaker said.

He thanked the American people and the US government for being the first major power to recognize and pledge support for the Arroyo government.

In response, Rohrabacher said the two countries are "now experiencing a new challenge and a new beginning, but new opportunities beckon us to move ahead."

The US congressman was referring to the "trauma that challenged the American democratic process" in the counting of votes during the US presidential election but admitted that people power 2 was "on a grander scale."

He concluded his remarks with a pledge of "mutual friendship to each other, to remain committed to those values of democracy and that the US and the Philippines can be the best of friends as before, in the years ahead."

Among those present during the dinner were Deputy Speaker Raul Gonzales, Reps. Apolinario Lozada Jr., Loretta Ann Rosales, Clavel Martinez, Salacnib Baterina, and Golez.

US solons pledge support for AFP upgrading

The US House delegation vowed to help the Philippine government upgrade its armed forces through the grant of more "surplus weapons and equipment."

In making the pledge, Rohrabacher said the fledgling Arroyo administration cannot afford to splurge on modern equipment for the military.

"We have told the President that it would not be a good thing to spend enormous amounts of money on the military. So we are going to work to see if the American military can work by providing surplus weapons and equipment for no cost so that the Philippine military can do its job," Rohrabacher said.

He stressed the need to upgrade the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) "so that the communist Chinese do not come in here to steal all of your offshore oil wells and gas."

The US congressman also advised Golez to immediately meet with his American counterpart to discuss the AFP upgrading program.

CBCP asks SC to fast-track Estrada petitions

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) asked the Supreme Court (SC) to speed up resolution of Estrada’s petitions questioning the legality of the Arroyo administration.

"We are all in a limbo. We are awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court," CBCP spokesman Msgr. Hernando Coronel said.

He said the Catholic church hierarchy would keep its hands off the issue. "The church involved herself during the people power II. We have actually participated in that historic event. But now we will remain at the background and let the lay people run the country."

Coronel said the High Tribunal should put to rest the debates on the legitimacy of the Arroyo leadership.

He warned, however, of another EDSA uprising if the court ruled in favor of Estrada.

Meanwhile, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) assailed certain quarters for trying to discredit the SC by calling for the Estrada-appointed justices to inhibit themselves from participating in the resolution of the petitions filed by the disgraced president.

IBP national president Arthur Lim said the demands were "not only unfair, but also debase the court as being unable to dispense justice in this momentous case."

Lim urged the public to allow the SC to deliberate freely on the issues.

"If not nipped in the bud, the growing climate of intimidation being exerted upon the High Court cannot but lend credence to the claim that the Philippines is slowly but surely becoming a banana republic," Lim said. - Jess Diaz, Jose Rodel Clapano, Sandy Araneta