Walang ibang dapat sisihin si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa pagpi-piyesta ng media sa kanya kundi ang kanyang sarili mismo.
Ito ang binig-yan-diin ni Sen. Sergio Osmeña II matapos umangal si Pangulong Ar-royo kamakalawa ng gabi sa pana-yam ni Mike Enriquez ng GMA-7 na biktima siya ng trial by publicity.
"Since the issues of cheating and corruption against her are so shocking and scandalous, she cannot blame the media and the Filipino people for debating them," sabi ni Osmeña.
Aniya, kasalanan umano ng Pangulo kung araw-araw ay binabaterya sa mga pahayagan, telebisyon at radyo dahil matagal din siyang nanahimik sa isyu ng usapan diumano nila ni dating Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.
Minsan lang umano ito humarap sa media subalit nagsagawa pa ng censorship nang salain ang mga tanong at miyembro ng media na nagtatanong sa kanyang press conference noong Miyerkules.
"The matter has been made worse by her refusing to answer valid queries from media. Worst of all, she has resorted to censoring presscon questions. She has only herself to blame," dagdag pa ni Osmeña.
- P300M to bankroll Cha-cha drive?
A MEMBER of the United Opposition yesterday asked Malacañang to explain where national security adviser Norberto Gonzales would use the P300 million he is reportedly requesting from the budget department.
The amount might just be used for President Arroyo’s campaign to get support for her call for a shift to a parliamentary-federal form of government through a constituent assembly, said Rep. Teofisto Guingona III (LDP, Bukidnon).
Guingona said he has received reports that Gonzalez was asking the budget department to release the amount for still unknown purposes. He added Budget Secretary Romulo Neri has not responded to the request as he is also reportedly hesitating.
"Where exactly will Secretary Gonzalez use this amount upfront? We would like to find out ano ang plano niya sa P300 million, where is he going to use it, at ano ang kanyang legal basis," Guingona said in a press conference of the United Opposition.
He expressed fears the money would be used to bankroll Arroyo’s campaign for charter change. "Si GMA daw iikot sa bansa… Panay kampanya ito without an election so what does this mean? This means a lot of funds at kung saan kukunin, I don’t really know," he said.
Guingona also challenged Malacañang to publish the DBM’s recent releases of special allotment release orders (SARO) and notice of cash allocations (NCA) amid the allegations that the Palace has been dangling pork barrel funds to buy their support to oppose an impeachment complaint against the President.
- Admin solons criticized for bending impeach rules to favor Arroyo
Members of the opposition yesterday accused President Arroyo's allies in the House of Representatives of deleting some words in the House impeachment rules in order to prevent them from presenting pieces of evidence during the justice panel's hearing on whether the impeachment complaint is sufficient to merit the transmittal of the complaint to the Senate.
House Minority Leader Rep. Francis Escudero, together with Representatives Alan Peter Cayetano (Taguig-Pateros), Teofisto Guingona Jr. (Bukidnon), Joel Villanueva (Cibac partly-list) and Florencio Noel (An Waray), said the administration lawmakers, particularly Rep. Edcel Lagman (Albay), have deleted some words in Section 5 of the Rules on Impeachment which pertains to the presentation of evidence.
“If the committee finds that the complaint is sufficient in substance based on the evidence presented, it shall, thereafter, proceed to conduct formal investigation of the charges alleged in the complaint...,” Escudero said, citing the rules on impeachment during the 12th Congress.
Administration lawmakers, however, are now pushing impeachment rules that do not contain the words “based on the evidence presented.”
He added he is wondering why Lagman is defending the new impeachment rules on the floor when he was not even among those who drafted the rules.
- Gloria fears jueteng fallout, pressure on for probe halt
With Archbishop Oscar Cruz' jueteng “star witness” determined to tell his tale on the illegal numbers racket payoff directly benefiting President Arroyo through its usage in bribing Commmission on Elections registrars, said to be about 18 of them, Malacañang reportedly has been putting the pressure on the twin Senate panel chairmen to end the jueteng probes.
Games and Amusement committee chairman Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid, is said to have announced that his panel would no longer hold any hearings, the effect of which would be denying the open testimony of the eyewitness Cruz will be presenting to state that jueteng payola was distributed among Comelec registrar allegedly by Pampanga jueteng lord's wife, Lilia Pineda in front of Mrs. Arroyo, to ensure her victory at the polls.
Earlier, the Tribune had already reported that an eyewitness on the jueteng payoffs of P1 million for each Comelec registrars was handed by Mrs. Pineda in the presence of the President at her La Vista home, where she had tendered a dinner for these poll officers.
The Tribune also reported that a fax machine each was given to them, for easier direct reporting to the President.
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