NR0628: GMA's sorry not acceptable

Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
News Release June 28, 2005
House of Representatives, South Wing Rm 602
931-6615 Ina Alleco R. Silverio, Chief of Staff
Email: paggawa@edsamail.com.ph,
anakpawis2003@yahoo.com
Cellphone number 09213907362
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Protests against corrupt and illegitimate presidency to continue
and escalate until PGMA steps down

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today said
that the Filipino people should not give President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo another chance despite the
latter’s apology last night and admission that it was
her on the controversial tapes.

“There is no absolution for Pres. Arroyo. She may have
admitted that it is her on the tapes, and she may have
said that sorry; but for all that she did not admit
that she cheated in the May polls and that she takes
responsibility for the economic and political chaos
that that has erupted over the controversy,” he said.
“Her tactic and attempt to appeal to the usually
forgiving nature of Filipinos has fallen flat on its
face.”

“There is no reason for the Filipino people to forgive
Pres. Arroyo. Nothing has changed, and the demand for
her to step down and resign remains the same. Even
before this infamous tape controversy erupted,
Filipinos especially the basic sectors of workers,
urban poor and farmers have been calling for her
ouster and resignation because of her anti-people
policies that have wrought untold damage to the
welfare and livelihood of millions. Now, these issues
as well as the continously piling corruption scandals
involving the President and the members of her
immediate family including the issue of jueteng and
the massive electoral fraud all the more strengthen
and justify the demand that the president immediately
step down.”

Beltran said that if it was the Pres. Arroyo’s intent
to diffuse the protests against her with her admission
and apology, she is mistaken. “If anything, Filipinos
already outraged over her government’s corruption and
failure to alleviate the people’s poverty are more
determined to show her the door. The protests will
continue and increase in number and intensity,and they
will continue to do so until Pres. Arroyo is removed
from power.”

On the committee hearings

The veteran labor leader turned legislator also said
that now that President Arroyo has admitted that it’s
her voice on the tapes, she should give in to the
popular demand and resign. He also said that the
president’s admission also removes all obstacles to
the congressional hearings on the tapes. “All the
excuses and reasonings of pro-admnistration allies in
the House to bar the tapes from played and its
contents analyzed in the hearings have been rendered
moot and academic.”

”Malacanang spokesperson Ignacio Bunye and Department
of Justice Raul Gonzales have been both proven be
liars. Their boss herself has exposed them to be so.
Now, the succeeding Congressional hearings should be
more orderly and systematic given that the wind has
been taken out of the sails of the pro-Arroyo solons.
Their defense of the president has significantly
weakened. The no longer have any compelling reason to
stop the tapes from being played in the hearings,” he
said.

Beltran said that all solons whether
pro-administration or members of the opposition should
now focus on the work at hand and give all their
attention to analzying, scrutinizing the contents of
the tapes and determining the general and specific
implications on the current presidency.”#