Palace pays respect to ‘Boy Bawang’

MANILA, Philippines - For distributing bawang (garlic) to his colleagues last Wednesday so that they could ward off “con-asswang," Senator Manuel Roxas II has earned for himself a new moniker: “Boy Bawang." The tag was coined by no less than deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez, who said that despite the “gimmickry," Malacañang still has high respects for Roxas. "Nirerespeto natin yung gimmickry na ganun dahil from Boy Palengke, ngayon Boy Bawang na. And we respect that, we respect that," Golez said, referring to Roxas’ catchphrase when he was Trade and Industry secretary during the early years of the Arroyo administration. "Boy Bawang," incidentally, is a brand of snack food popular to Filipinos. Recently, Roxas has been tagged as “Mr. Padyak" for his television commercial showing him inside a pedicab, colloquially known as “padyak." Roxas coined “con-asswang" to lambaste the constituent assembly being pushed by the House of Representatives as a means to amend the 1987 Constitution. “Aswang" is a tagalong term for ghoul. Roxas, who is reportedly eyeing the presidency in 2010, has been a vocal critic of Charter change. He said the House's approval of House Resolution 1109, which calls on Congress to convene itself into a constituent assembly, was backed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Golez admitted that President Arroyo is supportive of Charter change but denied that she ordered her allies in the House to approve HR 1109. "We are still not surprised that this is hurled at our President, although we are not negating the fact that the President is supportive based on her platforms, SONA [State of the Nation Address] speeches, on political and economic reforms particularly in Charter changes," the Palace official said. Critics of Charter change has described it as Malacañang way to extend President Arroyo’s term beyond 2010. But Golez assured President Arroyo would step down in 2010, urging various sectors not to be instantly alarmed by the approval of HR 1109. "Merong proseso na dapat pagdaanan ang pagsusulong ng isang Charter change at ‘yan ang ginagawa ng Congress [There is a process that must be followed in amending the Charter, and that is being done by Congress]," he said. "Dun tayo magwo-worry dapat kung nakikita nating may nilalabag na proseso [Let us worry if we see that the process is not being followed]," he added. - GMANews.TV