‘GMA back on campaign trail’

It looks like President Arroyo, by launching a media offensive, is back on the campaign trail, House Deputy Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said yesterday.

"At the rate she’s making promises in her image makeover effort, she seems to be running her May 2004 election campaign all over again," he said.

Cayetano said among other commitments, he heard Mrs. Arroyo promising irrigation and other projects, jobs, a salary increase for certain groups of government workers, and reconciliation with forces identified with the EDSA I, II and III uprisings.

"We all know that she made those promises many times before, but she failed to keep them," he stressed.

Cayetano noted that in her previous State of the Nation Addresses, the President promised to create millions of jobs and to reconcile, once and for all, with EDSA people power participants, including those who helped bring her to power but who have become dissatisfied with her.

"In her latest SONA, she promised again to create jobs. But where are the millions of jobs she promised to create in previous SONAs? The high unemployment and underemployment rates are proof that the President miserably failed to keep those promises," he said.

As for reconciliation with EDSA people power forces, Cayetano said the current political crisis that has deepened divisions among the people is "prima facie evidence" of Mrs. Arroyo’s failure in this area.

"In fact, her obstinate refusal to step down is seen as the cause of further division among the population," he said.

He quoted Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez, who has described the President as the "most divisive" leader the nation ever had, since she has "divided not only the people but her own Cabinet, businessmen, religious leaders, former presidents and even her own family."

Cayetano said Mrs. Arroyo, in her media offensive, ironically has carefully evaded questions about the "Hello, Garci" taped conversations with an election official, jueteng-related charges against her and her family, allegations of cheating in last year’s elections, and other moral issues.

"She should not merely dismiss these charges by claiming that she is being tried by publicity. She should explain herself. She owes the public not the half-truth but the whole truth," he said.

He pointed out that while the President admitted last June 27 that she committed a lapse in judgment by talking to an "election official" at the height of last year’s vote canvass, she has not told the public who that official is.

That official is believed to be missing former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, whom she calls "Garci" in the "Hello, Garci" tapes, he said.

"Why has she not told the people that it was Garcillano with whom she discussed vote rigging and winning over there late FPJ (Fernando Poe Jr.) by more than a million votes?" Cayetano asked.

He said the President should not hope that these issues will soon be forgotten "because they will linger in the public consciousness for as long as Mrs. Arroyo does not confront them or tell half-truths about these concerns." - Jess Diaz