NR0629: Susan speaks out; FG Mike leaving the country

Mula sa Tanggapan ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran
News Release June 29, 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
Visit geocities.com/ap_news

The First Gentleman should not be allowed to leave the
country as investigations into jueteng far from over

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today said
the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo’s decision to leave
the country supposedly to spare President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo from further criticism will work
against the President and further weaken the already
crumbling presidency.

“FG Arroyo’s decision to leave is actually
self-serving and aimed towards saving himself from the
jueteng scandal. He should not even be allowed to
leave the country because the investigations on his
involvement and even leadership of the underground
jueteng network in the country is far from concluded,”
he said.

The veteran labor leader turned lawmaker said that the
First Gentleman was
very big liability to the president, “But his wife
has even bigger concerns of her own not related to
jueteng. Between the two of them, they have created
the most corrupt administration since the halcyon days
of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Even if the First
Gentleman leaves, the protests against her wife will
continue and intensify until the inevitable happens
and she is booted from office,” he said.

“If the First Gentleman wants to help his wife and
save her from further criticism, he should urge her to
cut her losses and step down. The best thing for the
President and the First Gentleman to do would be to
remove themselves from Malacanang and face the charges
against them squarely. Their stubborn refusal to admit
their crimes is only exacerbating the already
turbulent political situation in the country. They
both stand accused of the biggest crimes against the
Filipino people,” he said.


Ms. Roces speaks out against GMA

In the meantime, Beltran said that former presidential
candidate Fernando Poe Jr’s widow Ms. Susan Roces’
statement denouncing what she termed as Pres.Arroyo’s
apology was fake and not enough was a sign of signs to
come.

He said that Ms. Roces was a loved public figure, and
being the widow of the main and immediate victim of
Pres. Arroyo’s electoral fraud, her word carries a lot
of weight with most Filipinos.

“The public sympathy is with Ms. Roces,” he said.
“Pres. Arroyo should have first apologized to Ms.
Roces and admitted the electoral fraud she
perpetrated in May 2004. Ms. Roces, despite her
refusal to be so, is a source of inspiration and
strength to many Filipinos who feel betrayed by the
incumbent administration. Her word carries a lot of
weight, and her call for the President Arroyo’s
resignation is certain to strengthen the protests
demanding that the executive step down.”

“Ms. Roces has our support and sympathy. We hope that
she continues to speak out against the corruption and
illegitimacy of the incumbent presidency, and
encourage immediate political reforms to clean the
government. She is, perhaps, the one single individual
who can truly unite the opposition because she has no
public record of corruption or personal political
interests. When Ms. Roces speaks, many Filipinos
listen,” he concluded.#