CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Presidential sister Cielo Macapagal-Salgado said yesterday that “family healing” will result if Pres. Arroyo abandons alleged plan to run for Congress in this province’s second district and instead pave the way for the candidacy of their brother Arthur Macapagal.
“I think her nine years as president should be enough and others should be allowed to take over,” Salgado told Punto in a telephone interview.
Should the President not run for the congressional post afterall, Salgado urged her nephew, presidential son Rep. Mikey Arroyo who is entitled to a third term in the second district, to run for other provincial post.
She suggested the position of vice governor which the younger Arroyo occupied for only two terms when Sen. Lapid was governor.
“The family will be united. There will be family healing even among our children if she (Pres. Arroyo) supports Arthur’s candidacy,” Salgado said.
Salgado and Arthur were children of the late President by his first wife Purita de la Rosa, while the President and Diosdado Jr. were his children by his second wife former First Lady Eva Macaraig. The rift between Salgado and the President, even between their children, has been known even before Mrs. Arroyo assumed the presidency.
Salgado, who had been vice governor of Pampanga during the term of Pres. Cory Aquino, noted that of the four children of the late Pres. Diosdado Macapagal, Arthur is the only one who has yet to occupy a government post. She noted that Diosdado Macapagal Jr. was once undersecretary of finance during the term of former Pres. Ramos.
But Salgado admitted she has not yet talked to Arthur about her proposal for him to run for Congress in this province’s second district. “I am conveying my proposal through the media and I know he will get in touch with me once he picks it up from media,” she said.
She noted, however, that in the 2001 elections, Arthur was already set to enter politics by running for congressman in the district, but he was talked out of it for the congressional bid of Mikey.
She said that Arthur seemed fated to the post, as she noted that his birthday on Sept. 14 is also the date of the founding of the Macapagal’s Lubao hometown in the district.
While the President has not talked about any political plans in next year’s elections, her frequent sorties to Pampanga’s second district continues to fuel speculations she will seek the congressional post, with Mikey reportedly either running under a partylist or quitting politics altogether.
Salgado said, however, that Gov. Eddie Panlilio has been urging her to run for congress in the second district against the possibility of her sister running for the same post.
But she said she has not decided on this, as she preferred Arthur for the post.
“All I desire is the good of the people in Pampanga. I survived stage 4 cancer in 1982 and since then, I consider my life now as a grace I should devote to God,” she said.
She said “I am tired of the greed, personal ambitions, selfishness of politicians”, as she lamented the failure of the Office of the Ombudsman to act on a complaint she filed years ago against Sen. Lito Lapid who was then governor.
Lapid announced last month he will again run for governor in next year’s polls.
Salgado said the case, alleging anomalies in the purchase of land purportedly for the housing of provincial capitol employees in San Fernando in this province, has been buried by the Ombudsman.
“The last time I was at the Ombudsman for the case was two years ago,” she noted.
Meanwhile, another close relative who asked not to be named urged the President to retire from politics after her term ends next year. “Nine years na siya nakaupo, bakit pa siya tatakbo? Bukod pa sa three years sa Senate and three years as vice president. (For nine years she was president, so why should she run? This is apart from three years in the Senate and three years as vice president,” he said.
The relative also cited the President’s statement of assets and liabilities which indicated increase in her wealth during her presidential term as another reason for her to retire.
“I think her nine years as president should be enough and others should be allowed to take over,” Salgado told Punto in a telephone interview.
Should the President not run for the congressional post afterall, Salgado urged her nephew, presidential son Rep. Mikey Arroyo who is entitled to a third term in the second district, to run for other provincial post.
She suggested the position of vice governor which the younger Arroyo occupied for only two terms when Sen. Lapid was governor.
“The family will be united. There will be family healing even among our children if she (Pres. Arroyo) supports Arthur’s candidacy,” Salgado said.
Salgado and Arthur were children of the late President by his first wife Purita de la Rosa, while the President and Diosdado Jr. were his children by his second wife former First Lady Eva Macaraig. The rift between Salgado and the President, even between their children, has been known even before Mrs. Arroyo assumed the presidency.
Salgado, who had been vice governor of Pampanga during the term of Pres. Cory Aquino, noted that of the four children of the late Pres. Diosdado Macapagal, Arthur is the only one who has yet to occupy a government post. She noted that Diosdado Macapagal Jr. was once undersecretary of finance during the term of former Pres. Ramos.
But Salgado admitted she has not yet talked to Arthur about her proposal for him to run for Congress in this province’s second district. “I am conveying my proposal through the media and I know he will get in touch with me once he picks it up from media,” she said.
She noted, however, that in the 2001 elections, Arthur was already set to enter politics by running for congressman in the district, but he was talked out of it for the congressional bid of Mikey.
She said that Arthur seemed fated to the post, as she noted that his birthday on Sept. 14 is also the date of the founding of the Macapagal’s Lubao hometown in the district.
While the President has not talked about any political plans in next year’s elections, her frequent sorties to Pampanga’s second district continues to fuel speculations she will seek the congressional post, with Mikey reportedly either running under a partylist or quitting politics altogether.
Salgado said, however, that Gov. Eddie Panlilio has been urging her to run for congress in the second district against the possibility of her sister running for the same post.
But she said she has not decided on this, as she preferred Arthur for the post.
“All I desire is the good of the people in Pampanga. I survived stage 4 cancer in 1982 and since then, I consider my life now as a grace I should devote to God,” she said.
She said “I am tired of the greed, personal ambitions, selfishness of politicians”, as she lamented the failure of the Office of the Ombudsman to act on a complaint she filed years ago against Sen. Lito Lapid who was then governor.
Lapid announced last month he will again run for governor in next year’s polls.
Salgado said the case, alleging anomalies in the purchase of land purportedly for the housing of provincial capitol employees in San Fernando in this province, has been buried by the Ombudsman.
“The last time I was at the Ombudsman for the case was two years ago,” she noted.
Meanwhile, another close relative who asked not to be named urged the President to retire from politics after her term ends next year. “Nine years na siya nakaupo, bakit pa siya tatakbo? Bukod pa sa three years sa Senate and three years as vice president. (For nine years she was president, so why should she run? This is apart from three years in the Senate and three years as vice president,” he said.
The relative also cited the President’s statement of assets and liabilities which indicated increase in her wealth during her presidential term as another reason for her to retire.
