AQUINO LUMPS ARROYO, MARCOS FOR BETRAYING MANDATE, PLUNDER
[PHOTO - Edsa lessons. President Aquino and deposed President Estrada unveil a marker honoring the late President Corazon Aquino, while Vice President Jejomar Binay and other officials join a 'boodle fight' as protesters demonstrate against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. AP, MANNY PALMERO]
MANILA, FEBRUARY 28, 2011 (STANDARD) by Joyce Pangco Pañares - PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Friday took a swipe at the Arroyo administration, saying it squandered the gains of the EDSA People Power revolt by failing to spend public funds judiciously and govern responsibly.
Mr. Aquino also reminded Filipinos of the excesses of the Marcos regime that was toppled by the generally peaceful revolt 25 years ago.
Speaking from the People Power monument along EDSA, Mr. Aquino was quiet, however, on deposed President Joseph Estrada, who was ousted in a second EDSA bloodless revolt and convicted of plunder before being pardoned in 2007.
Estrada was even invited to attend a jobs fair held at the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration in San Juan as part of the celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary or the first People Power revolt.
"We believe that instead of being divided, we can be united; instead of stealing, we can be true to our mandate; and instead of living in fear, we can now trust our government," Mr. Aquino said during the flag raising ceremony at the People Power monument to kick off day-long events commemorating the 1986 bloodless revolution.
"How can we maintain this harmonious relationship? Through responsible governance and the judicious spending of public funds, Unfortunately, and even if many would not admit this, these two things did not happen during the past decade. There were officials who betrayed their mandate. There were people who plundered government coffers."
Presidential spokesman Ramon Carandang later said Mr. Aquino was not referring to former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo in particular.
"He just made a general reference to the last decade. That speech was talking about making democracy work, that EDSA does not end with ousting a leader and change is an ongoing process," Carandang said.
Maria Montelibano, overall chairman of Friday"s events, was less forgiving, saying Arroyo had nothing to contribute to the celebrations.
"How can she contribute anything when for the past nine years she discouraged the celebration of EDSA People Power 1? Nevertheless everyone is invited to attend," Montelibano said.
Her statement contrasted with her original announcement last week that all past presidents would be invited, including Arroyo and Estrada.
"Everyone will be invited to the events, especially the past presidents and all who would like to rekindle and remember EDSA People Power 1986, even if you were not there," she said in a press briefing at the Palace last week.
The Arroyo administration celebrated People Power 1 annually, but not on the same scale as this year's events.
Arroyo has always warned that the world will not tolerate another revolution, despite being the main beneficiary of EDSA People Power 2 that ousted Estrada and installed her in power.
"The world embraced EDSA 1 in 1986. The world tolerated EDSA II in 2001. The world will not forgive an EDSA III, but it will instead condemn the Philippines as a country whose political system is hopelessly unstable," Arroyo said.
Estrada attended the POEA event, but Montelibano said he came on his own. A Palace source, however, said an invitation was actually sent to Estrada Thursday.
Estrada called Mrs. Arroyo, the president who pardoned him, "an icon of corruption."
"We only have two lady presidents in the person of Cory [Aquino], who is the icon of democracy, and the other one, GMA [Arroyo], who is the icon of corruption," he said.
"I hope President Aquino will be able to recover the things that were were robbed from us for the past nine years."
Mrs. Arroyo's son, Ang Galing Pinoy Party Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, dismissed the criticism.
"The spirit of EDSA should be all about magnanimity, unity, faith in God and his teachings," he said.
"It shouldn't be associated with hatred [and] divisiveness... Gloating should have have no place in the ceremony."
He criticized Estrada for his remark.
"It's not GMA who is just out on a presidential pardon. In any case, I believe that unity must be the focal point of EDSA. I appeal to our elders to refrain from dishing out such derogatory statements. God bless us all in commemorating the 25th year anniversary of EDSA."
Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was 15 years old when his father declared martial law, complained on his Facebook account about journalists hounding him for a reaction every year that the People Power revolt was celebrated.
He said his answer was more or less the same every year.
"It is wise and prudent to look back and remember, and learn; but we cannot afford to get stuck in, or be burdened by, our past," he said.
"We have plenty of talent amongst our people waiting to be harnessed, and if we all train our eyes forward and constructively act in unison, we can get to where we want to even sooner than we think. Let's stop short-changing ourselves and together, begin the move forward. Failure should not be an option." With Rey E. Salita
----------------------------------------------------------
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
----------------------------------------------------------
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet
This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.
To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/
(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------
