GMA: Stop politicking, focus on priorities

With the 2004 presidential elections only eight months away, President Arroyo again called for a moratorium on political bickerings and focus efforts on improving governance.

"I will continue to weave the right tapestry of foreign and domestic policies that will serve our nation and people," she said on arrival yesterday from her five-day trip to the US and Europe.

Mrs. Arroyo said she is looking forward to continuing partnership with Congress in mapping out foreign policy and vowed to implement measures to push peace in Mindanao and prevent terrorism and other transnational crimes.

She said her meeting with Pope John Paul II strengthened her resolve to work for peace and help the poor in the country.

Mrs. Arroyo also pointed out that she has successfully asked United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to support the government’s peace iniative with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is also awaiting the result of the peace talks between the government and the MILF.

The US Institute for Peace will also work with Washington to put in concrete support for conflict resolution.

"We are paving the way for the establishment of a multi-donor fund that will crop on once a new Mindanao peace accord is forged," Mrs. Arroyo said.

The fund is organized by the World Bank and the US Agency for International Development with commitments from the Islamic Development Bank, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the governments of Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Davao City Rep. Prospero Nograles said Mrs. Arroyo has made the country proud after her speech before the UN General Assembly and the 32nd general assembly of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

"The President has become one of the world’s most important and most credible resource persons in the global struggle to fight poverty, religious strife and global terrorism," he said.

Nograles, who was part of the President’s official delegation, said the President shared to the whole world her experiences and provided needed solutions to defeat the problems.

"Many of those I’ve talked admire her toughness in confronting the odds. They are amazed at her poise and grace in handling herself despite the seeming insurmountable problems that she is now facing," Nograles said.

Even Malaysia’s Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad admired Mrs. Arroyo for her commitment to end the secessionist rebellion in Mindanao when she appointed chief government peace negotiator Eduardo Ermita as defense secretary, Nograles said.

But some sectors remain unconvinced as they greeted Mrs. Arroyo with protest actions at the Arroyo family owned LTA building in Makati City yesterday.

Some 200 members of the People’s Movement Against Poverty (PMAP), Kilusan para sa Makatarungang Lipunan sa Gobyerno (KMLG) and the Guardians Brotherhood held a protest rally denouncing the President and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo for high level corruption. — with Nikko Dizon