Palace shrugs off b**ch joke

MANILA, Philippines – Malacanang downplayed yesterday remarks by Presidential Economic Adviser Joey Salceda calling President Arroyo “a b**ch” at a public forum at the Ateneo de Manila last Wednesday.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol said Salceda had already apologized for the “bad joke” and the matter is between him and the President.

Salceda, also governor of Albay, admitted his joke was in poor taste, considering the situation that the President is in right now.

His remarks were made when he was giving an economic briefing at a forum. After seeing the presence of a television news crew, he immediately realized that he was out of line.

Salceda was all over television and radio yesterday morning to explain what he said about the President.

He added that he sent three text messages to Mrs. Arroyo to apologize for his remarks, but did not get any response.

Salceda explained that what he meant about the President being a b**ch was her being ill-tempered.

Interviewed by ABS-CBN, Salceda said that he immediately went home to Bicol after the briefing at the Ateneo.

“Para akong batang nakabasag ng thermos, nagtago ako sa aparador (I felt like a child who just broke a thermos, so I hid in the cabinet),” Salceda said.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said that Salceda’s remarks were unintentional and was not too surprising, considering the nature of the governor.

“I guess Governor Salceda, as many say, can use very colorful words also. I hope it wasn’t intentional. He already apologized,” she said. – Marvin Sy, Cecille Suerte Felipe