‘Political Baygon’ needed — Tiglao

Malacañang said yesterday it needs a "political Baygon" to eradicate the "termites in society" gnawing at the very foundations of government.

Commenting on President Arroyo’s observation that "termites in our society" were behind coup rumors, Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said she was apparently referring to "political termites."

"We need a political Baygon for those (pests)," Tiglao added, referring to a popular brand of insecticide.

In her weekly radio program May Gloria ang Bukas Mo, Mrs. Arroyo lashed out at her critics and detractors who are purportedly threatening to muster people power to topple her administration.

Coup rumors have also intensified as Mrs. Arroyo prepares to mark this month her first year in office.

"This is the only thing I can tell our beloved countrymen and fellow Filipinos: don’t be swayed by this gossip coming from these termites of our society," the President said.

"There is a group which wants to convince you that they have the capability to bring down our government and destroy our democratic system and freedoms of our people. But in truth, they do not have the support of the military and the police. They do not have the support of our people," Mrs. Arroyo said.

She reiterated that the coup plotters abruptly dropped their plan after the intelligence community found out about it.

"The government is stable... the government is strong... the people are behind us," Mrs. Arroyo stressed.

The Chief Executive added that the entire military and police organizations support the Constitution and the democratic processes.

She indicated that no attempts to grab political power will succeed without a moral cause, adding that the first year of her administration has resulted in major accomplishments to improve the economic situation of the people.

She cited in particular the government’s ability to sustain the country’s economic growth amid a global economic slump.

"But these new termites in our society want to erase and throw away the good news and these developments," Mrs. Arroyo said.

She vowed that her administration would remain focused on its plans and programs, notably government reforms to effectively address mass poverty.

"But these (gains) are not enough. So we need to work harder," Mrs. Arroyo emphasized.

She called on the people to continue supporting her leadership and help strengthen democracy in the country.

Meanwhile, the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) opposed Malacañang’s plan to hold a 40-day celebration of people power I and II, saying it was merely a political gimmick.

"Despite official claims of an improved economy, the fact remains that our country has the highest incidence of poverty among Southeast Asian countries. Approximately 25 million Filipinos do not own houses while 16.5 million of our countrymen are below the poverty line," Bayan said in a statement. — Marichu Villanueva, Leo Solinap