FLORIDABLANCA – From suspicion to conclusion?
This seems to be the jump in the minds of critics of Pres. Arroyo who, for the 26th time this year, visited yesterday Pampanga’s second district, specifically this town where she swept through five barangays starting 10 a.m. to inspect projects and meet with mayors’ spouses.
“Yes, it does appear she is engaged in early campaigning for a congressional position in 2010,” said Prof. Randy David who told Punto yesterday he would resign from his teaching job at the University of the Philippines to concentrate on a congressional campaign in the district should Mrs. Arroyo run for Congress next year.
David is from Betis in Guagua which is second to the President’s Lubao hometown with the biggest number of registered voters in the district which also covers the towns of Sta. Rita, Sasmuan and Porac.
Gov. Eddie Panlilio, who had vowed to support another candidate should Mrs. Arroyo run for Congress, commented that while the President seems to be extending help to Kapampangan constituents during her frequent sorties to the second district, she seemed, indeed, already be campaigning for her congressional bid.
“Nakakatulong naman ang projects ni PGMA (Pres. Arroyo) sa second district, kaya lang, bakit halos doon lang?” asked Panlilio.
David said that the President’s “frequent and high profile” visits to her district “makes no sense except as part of a parliamentary shift.” He was referring to allegations that the move, particularly in the House of Representatives, to change the Constitution either before or after the 2010 elections was designed to transform the government into a parliamentary system where Mrs. Arroyo could eventually be elected prime minister.
“(This) will introduce new instabilities into our already fragile political system. Obviously, she wants to be her own successor as head of government,” said David who is a sociology professor at the University of the Philippines.
David noted that “with all the resources at her command, I know it’s very difficult to stop her in Pampanga.”
“But I’m determined to do my part in stopping her, even if this may mean resigning from my job in UP to run against her. I can’t fight this clever scheme to stay in power-by hook or by crook- alone. I hope our ‘Cabalens’ can see beyond the short-term relief and benefits she brings on her visits and view her plans in the context of the larger interests of the whole country,” he said.
David also said “We are Filipinos, members of a modern nation- not an isolated tribe trapped in an obsolete worldview.”
Local supporters of the President, however, have kept mum on the congressional issue. Former provincial board member Lilia Pineda and Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo, spokesperson of the Pampanga Mayors’ League, said Mrs. Arroyo could be merely showing her affection to her “cabalens” by visiting them frequently in the last months of her presidency.
Apart from the congressional race, the Arroyo administration is also likely to confront challenges in Pampanga in regard whoever its presidential candidate will be, amid commitments not only of Panlilio, but also of David to support the presidential bid of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino.
David also said “I am very much inclined to support the candidacy of Noynoy.”
“Not only does he (Noynoy) bring into our politics a legacy of integrity in public service, but also because I like his no-nonsense perspective on the nation’s problems,” he said.
Only last Thursday, the President was in heavily flooded Guagua to distribute relief goods.
Unlike in the past visits to her district, alerts on her last visit to Guagua was sent by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) regional office via text messages to members of the local media at an unusually early 5:30 a.m. on the day of visit.
The alert on yesterday’s visit was sent by PIA to the media at about 10:30 p.m. last Sunday. Before, such alerts were sent at least 24 hours before the presidential sortie.
Her visits to her districts this year have been managed to include the President’s talk with local project beneficiaries, as well as medical-dental missions.
The President arrived at about 10 a.m. in Barangay Anon here to inaugurate a P3.3-million potable water system pumping station. After she opened a “butterfly valve” to allow the flow of potable water to some 485 households, the President took time out to talk to two beneficiaries, including teacher Imelda Rivera and widowed grandmother Cely Rivera.
The presidential convoy then motored to the Sta. Monica elementary school to inspect the new Kalayaan school building built by the 355th engineering wing of the Philippine Air Force. Again, she talked with grade 5 pupils Mikaela Angela Bundalian and Joselle Ann Sotto.
This seems to be the jump in the minds of critics of Pres. Arroyo who, for the 26th time this year, visited yesterday Pampanga’s second district, specifically this town where she swept through five barangays starting 10 a.m. to inspect projects and meet with mayors’ spouses.
“Yes, it does appear she is engaged in early campaigning for a congressional position in 2010,” said Prof. Randy David who told Punto yesterday he would resign from his teaching job at the University of the Philippines to concentrate on a congressional campaign in the district should Mrs. Arroyo run for Congress next year.
David is from Betis in Guagua which is second to the President’s Lubao hometown with the biggest number of registered voters in the district which also covers the towns of Sta. Rita, Sasmuan and Porac.
Gov. Eddie Panlilio, who had vowed to support another candidate should Mrs. Arroyo run for Congress, commented that while the President seems to be extending help to Kapampangan constituents during her frequent sorties to the second district, she seemed, indeed, already be campaigning for her congressional bid.
“Nakakatulong naman ang projects ni PGMA (Pres. Arroyo) sa second district, kaya lang, bakit halos doon lang?” asked Panlilio.
David said that the President’s “frequent and high profile” visits to her district “makes no sense except as part of a parliamentary shift.” He was referring to allegations that the move, particularly in the House of Representatives, to change the Constitution either before or after the 2010 elections was designed to transform the government into a parliamentary system where Mrs. Arroyo could eventually be elected prime minister.
“(This) will introduce new instabilities into our already fragile political system. Obviously, she wants to be her own successor as head of government,” said David who is a sociology professor at the University of the Philippines.
David noted that “with all the resources at her command, I know it’s very difficult to stop her in Pampanga.”
“But I’m determined to do my part in stopping her, even if this may mean resigning from my job in UP to run against her. I can’t fight this clever scheme to stay in power-by hook or by crook- alone. I hope our ‘Cabalens’ can see beyond the short-term relief and benefits she brings on her visits and view her plans in the context of the larger interests of the whole country,” he said.
David also said “We are Filipinos, members of a modern nation- not an isolated tribe trapped in an obsolete worldview.”
Local supporters of the President, however, have kept mum on the congressional issue. Former provincial board member Lilia Pineda and Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo, spokesperson of the Pampanga Mayors’ League, said Mrs. Arroyo could be merely showing her affection to her “cabalens” by visiting them frequently in the last months of her presidency.
Apart from the congressional race, the Arroyo administration is also likely to confront challenges in Pampanga in regard whoever its presidential candidate will be, amid commitments not only of Panlilio, but also of David to support the presidential bid of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino.
David also said “I am very much inclined to support the candidacy of Noynoy.”
“Not only does he (Noynoy) bring into our politics a legacy of integrity in public service, but also because I like his no-nonsense perspective on the nation’s problems,” he said.
Only last Thursday, the President was in heavily flooded Guagua to distribute relief goods.
Unlike in the past visits to her district, alerts on her last visit to Guagua was sent by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) regional office via text messages to members of the local media at an unusually early 5:30 a.m. on the day of visit.
The alert on yesterday’s visit was sent by PIA to the media at about 10:30 p.m. last Sunday. Before, such alerts were sent at least 24 hours before the presidential sortie.
Her visits to her districts this year have been managed to include the President’s talk with local project beneficiaries, as well as medical-dental missions.
The President arrived at about 10 a.m. in Barangay Anon here to inaugurate a P3.3-million potable water system pumping station. After she opened a “butterfly valve” to allow the flow of potable water to some 485 households, the President took time out to talk to two beneficiaries, including teacher Imelda Rivera and widowed grandmother Cely Rivera.
The presidential convoy then motored to the Sta. Monica elementary school to inspect the new Kalayaan school building built by the 355th engineering wing of the Philippine Air Force. Again, she talked with grade 5 pupils Mikaela Angela Bundalian and Joselle Ann Sotto.
