President Arroyo announced last night the postponement of her scheduled three-nation trip to Europe next month, saying that, among other things, her personal "stewardship" of the government’s budget deficit and peace and order problems are the reasons she is postponing the trip.
The President’s announcement came less than three hours after Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye defended the President’s scheduled three-nation European tour during his daily briefing for Palace reporters. The Chief Executive’s trip to Europe has come under heavy criticism from her critics.
In a brief statement released by the Palace at 6 p.m. yesterday, Mrs. Arroyo said she decided to stay in the country to focus on her administrations efforts to bring the economy back on track. The threat of a widening budget deficit and the weakening of the peso against the dollar have been among the country’s biggest fiscal problems to date.
"I look forward to meeting our European friends at a later date," Mrs. Arroyo said in her statement.
"In remaining in the Philippines, I will focus on ensuring that our economic plan that was so successful last year remains on track," Mrs. Arroyo said.
The President was scheduled to be in Europe from Sept. 16 to 25 for official visits to Barcelona and Madrid in Spain, the Vatican in Rome, Italy and attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
This would have been the fourth overseas trip by Mrs. Arroyo after her official visits to seven countries earlier this year.
Despite the postponement of her European trip, the President said she intends to attend the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit this October in Mexico.
"While I firmly believe in the importance of personally carrying out the message of trade, investment and other opportunities in the Philippines to international audiences, as President, my priority is always where I am needed the most," Mrs. Arroyo said.
"Given the fact that some members of the economic team will be meeting with a number of heads of state in October at the APEC meeting in Mexico, I have decided to postpone my visit to Europe," the President said.
But The STAR learned yesterday that while she has postponed her trip to Europe, the President has lined up several provincial sorties that will take her out of the Palace for most of the week. The President’s provincial trips will take her all over the country, particularly Mindanao.
"There have been a number of developments on the fiscal and peace and order fronts that require my continued stewardship," Mrs. Arroyo said.
The President said her priority list includes appointing a new commissioner for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the continued implementation of tax collection measures.
These things "and related reforms and concurrent expenditure reductions all require the public will and support of the executive (department) to push through so that results (will be) brought to bear as quickly as possible," she said.
Another reason the President has postponed her overseas appointments is the government’s unfinished business with the Abu Sayyaf and the latest kidnapping by the nephew of an Abu Sayyaf commander of four Jehovah’s Witness evangelists in Patikul, Sulu and the beheading of two of the hostages’ male colleagues.
"We have the Abu Sayyaf and criminal gangs on the run, but we cannot rest," the President said. "We need to follow through and ensure that threats such as this are completely eliminated, once and for all."
In his defense of the President’s European itinerary, Bunye said Mrs. Arroyo is "going to Spain on the invitation of King of Spain. In Denmark she will attend the scheduled ASEM, which has long been pre-scheduled."
Bunye also said that while ailing Pope John Paul II may not be able to make it to the Philippines for the World Meeting of Families in January 2003, Mrs. Arroyo may be able to meet the Pontiff right in the Vatican.
Party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo earlier criticized Mrs. Arroyo’s trip to Europe as insensitive considering the expenses that would be incurred at a time when the country is suffering from a huge budget deficit.