Lakas allies belittle GMA foes

Allies of President Arroyo in the House of Representatives belittled yesterday the decision of her enemies to merge their forces and form a united front against the administration.

"I don’t think they will win popular support. The people won’t rally behind them," said Rep. Oscar Moreno (Lakas, Misamis Oriental), who was a member of the House panel that prosecuted ousted President Joseph Estrada in his Senate impeachment trial.

Moreno said the goal of Mrs. Arroyo’s foes of taking over power "is a legitimate ambition, but we have constitutional processes to follow."

He said instead of plotting to remove Mrs. Arroyo through some extra-legal means, her enemies "should begin to work on 2004."

The President’s Lakas partymate conceded that the administration has its share of shortcomings, "but there were meaningful strides in many sectors, particularly the economy."

As for her shortcoming, he said Mrs. Arroyo has vacillated many times on the case of ousted President Estrada.

"She should stay firm and remain focused on her job. She should try to do better. People are behind you if you do good," he said.

Another Lakas ally, Rep. Prospero Nograles of Davao City, said the President should not be distracted by these "sporadic protests" in doing what is good for the greater number of Filipinos.

"These are the handiwork of people who want to return to power and those who cannot wait for 2004 or 2010," he said.

For his part, Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. (Lakas, Surigao del Sur) urged workers who are celebrating Labor Day today to be wary of extremist groups using them to destabilize the government.

"We call on the legitimate representatives of Filipino workers to condemn these vested political interests who are only attempting to misuse the hallowed Labor Day milestone for their selfish ends at the expense of us all," he said.

Pichay, who chairs the House defense committee, also urged the political opposition to stop plotting to oust Mrs. Arroyo before the 2004 presidential elections.

"Political leaders are judged through the ballot. The opposition should campaign hard so they would do better in the next elections," he said.

Another House member, Makati’s Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin Jr., advised Mrs. Arroyo to "stay cool, not overreact."

"I don’t think a real threat to overthrow the government exists," Locsin told reporters.

He said the President should also "stay true to herself" and not project an image other than her personality.

She should stop courting Estrada’s supporters who will always be loyal to their ousted leader, he said.

He added that the President should just "get the right things done."