Public, government leaders urged to focus on more ‘pressing problems’

The nation, its leaders and the public should now forget about Mr. Everest and attend to "more pressing problems, like soaring oil prices," House Deputy Speaker Gerry Salapuddin said yesterday.

"The euphoria and ecstasy over the mountain climbers’ feat is no longer a sensational issue to us who are more concerned with increases in the prices of petroleum products, food items, the continued efforts by misguided sectors to destabilize the Arroyo presidency, the deteriorating quality of our education, and other issues," he said.

Salapuddin said the three Filipinos who reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain should stop fighting over the feat and the glory attached to who got there first.

"As Filipinos, even if their respective quests are supported by different sponsors, they must stop claiming and disclaiming the glory over one another," he said.

He pointed out that for the rest of the nation, it is not important which one of the three reached the peak first.

"It is more of their endurance to reach the top, the capacity of Filipinos to persevere and to unite behind a lofty goal, which is being diminished by the lingering controversy of who among the three got to the summit ahead of the others," he stressed.

The House leader appealed to the mountain climbers, their supporters and sponsors to stop the public bickering "before the lesson of this rare achievement is lost on us."

"Let us get this controversy behind us and move on," he said. — Jess Diaz