GMA busy preparing government for successor

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo does not want to be considered a lame-duck president in her last few days in office while waiting for the assumption of her successor this June 30.

According to deputy presidential spokesman Rogelio Peyuan, the President has been keeping busy even though a lot of her activities have been ceremonial in nature.

Over the past few weeks, the President has still been going around the country for the inauguration of various infrastructure projects scheduled for completion during her term.

“It will still be business as usual in the sense that Mrs. Arroyo will continue her role as the President, looking at the various ongoing projects that are still to be accomplished before she leaves Malacañang at exactly 12 noon on June 30,” Peyuan said.

“Definitely nobody would want to be considered a lame-duck leader. In this case, looking at her calendar, we’ve not seen any changes in the activities of the President, even her weekends, she’s on top of the programs, ongoing projects of the government,” he added.

Apart from overseeing the completion of her administration’s projects, Peyuan said that the President is also going through reports being submitted by the different departments or agencies as well as government-controlled corporations on the matter of the preparation of transition reports.

These include briefing materials, inventory of all of government resources including human, financial and physical resources of the government, which Peyuan said has to be completed in time for “a smooth turnover to the next administration.”