GMA to do last-minute campaigning

MANILA, Philippines - With the elections just 11 days away, President Arroyo will be doing some last-minute campaigning for her bid to be congresswoman of the second district of Pampanga, Malacañang said yesterday.

Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza said Mrs. Arroyo has been trying to squeeze in bits of campaigning in her busy schedule in the last several days.

“Well, she did campaigning last weekend and I think she still will because she’s running – it’s really expected. But, of course, always foremost in her mind is governance,” Mendoza told a news briefing.

Press Secretary Crispulo Icban earlier said the President would likely do her campaigning during weekends when official engagements and meetings are not that heavy.

Palace officials – and Mrs. Arroyo herself – however have repeatedly stressed that governance would not be affected in whatever electoral campaign she might wage.

Her supporters, however, said there was no need for her to campaign as they would be the one to do the task for her.

Mrs. Arroyo took the nation by surprise last year when she announced she was running for a seat in Congress representing the second district of her home province.

Critics said the move was meant to shield her from the torrent of lawsuits coming her way when she steps down from office on June 30.

“You have seen how she works, wherever she is, she is running the country,” Icban said, referring to the frequent out-of-town trips of Mrs. Arroyo to fast-track the completion of ongoing projects as legacies of her administration.