Palace guest criticizes GMA

MANILA, Philippines - A Palace guest who was expected to give a favorable assessment of the Arroyo administration yesterday ended up criticizing the President instead.

Former De La Salle University president Rolando Dizon criticized Mrs. Arroyo’s political appointments and called for the creation of an independent body to look into various controversies in her administration.

Dizon faced the press at Malacañang as a guest of deputy presidential spokesperson Charito Planas.

Although Dizon gave the President a grade of “B” or 85 percent for her leadership, management style and accomplishments the past nine years, he went on to cite various issues which he said contributed to the unpopularity of Mrs. Arroyo.

Dizon lamented the President’s appointments based on political considerations rather than their merits and qualifications.

He noted that based on her accomplishments alone, the President should have been more popular domestically.

But the lack of closure on some of the major controversies linked to the President and her family such as the “Hello, Garci” wiretapping scandal and the questions on her legitimacy as president have contributed to her poor ratings.

He said there were lots of negative perceptions of the President, especially after the so-called Hyatt 10 composed of her former Cabinet members and other officials under the executive branch resigned en masse after the “Hello, Garci” scandal broke out.

“To a lot of the people, the President failed to sufficiently address all these issues, leaving a cloud of doubt as to whether the allegations were true or not,” Dizon said.

He said an independent body should be composed of reputed members of academe so the people would know once and for all the truth about the issues.

“This commission will try to establish which of the accusations are true and which are false,” Dizon said.

“That’s why I said the three key areas that I would like to study would be the whole ‘Hello, Garci’ episode – how much of that was really factual? How much of that was public perception? The legitimacy issue that questioned if she cheated and then third, her fiscal and economic management of the country. I think we need to give her an evaluation of that.”

Dizon said that the independent commission would be able to complete its study in one or two months or right after the elections in May.

He also appealed to the President to heed the calls for her to allow the next president to appoint the next chief justice.

“Mrs. President, please do not appoint a chief justice although the Supreme Court has allowed you to do that. It is going to be an extremely unpopular decision so please leave that to the next president. I’m really making this personal appeal,” Dizon said.

Immediately after the press briefing, presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo issued a statement in response to Dizon, which was read by deputy spokesmann Gary Olivar.

“Bro. Dizon echoed views said by others and widely debated in public. Some issues are now under judicial consideration which the Palace should not preempt or interfere with,” Saludo said.

“The Supreme Court will rule with finality on the appointment of the next chief justice and the Ombudsman is probing corruption allegations,” he added.

Saludo pointed out that the government would comply with the court’s ruling.