No stopping Arroyo if she wants House seat, son says

(Updated 11:02 p.m.) MANILA, Philippines - Presidential son Juan Miguel "Mikey" Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday gave broad hints that he might run for governor in the 2010 elections, thus possibly paving the way for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to replace him as the representative of Pampanga's second district. In an interview with GMANews.TV, Mikey also said there's no stopping his mother from seeking a congressional seat if she decides to do so since the 1987 Constitution permits a former president to seek other elective posts except the presidency. President Arroyo's term ends on June 30, 2010. Mikey - who is on his second term as the representative of Pampanga's second district - refused to specify whether he would seek a third term or run as Pampanga governor in 2010. He only said he is preparing for his upcoming "election bid." "If I follow my heart, I want a third term. But of course I won't deny the fact that many of the political leaders there, even the clergy and those supporting, who support Gov. [Ed] Panlilio, are egging me on to run because he's a nonperforming asset," said Mikey, whom Panlilio had earlier accused of coddling jueteng protectors. "I'm preparing for my election bid," he added. Asked whether he would seek a gubernatorial post or a congressional seat, Mikey merely repeated, "election bid." Family matters Mikey refused to say whether his mother would aim to take his place if he opts for the gubernatorial post, saying her political plans are limited to the family. "It's (political plans) been discussed but I'm not at liberty to tell you. It's family matters," he said. He added that his statements are also "just pure speculation" and not his mother's official stance. Despite this, he said only the Constitution can bar his mother from seeking a congressional seat in 2010 if she wants to. "It's all up to her. Only the Constitution can bar her, di ba? Secondly, only the constituencies will either reject her or accept her with open arms in spite of all the bad things the opposition has been saying," he said. The President's allies have said that there is no legal impediment if she wants to seek a congressional post. "I totally agree because there is no legal impediment or any obstacle if GMA (the President's initials) wants to continue public service. It's a personal and valid decision," said Speaker Prospero Nograles. Former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez earlier said Mrs. Arroyo can seek any elective post apart from the presidency come 2010. Critics of the Arroyo administration allege that President Arroyo might seek a congressional seat so that she could have a shot at being prime minister in case Congress succeeds in changing the form of government from presidential to parliamentary. But Mikey said changing the form of government in the immediate future would be a long shot because any amendment to the Constitution would still have to be approved by a plebiscite. He added that the critics' speculations were "very unfair" to his mother. "The real reason why she will run, if ever she will, is only between her and her conscience. And only God knows that. Because nobody in this world can claim that he or she can enter one's conscience and determine or dissect what is in that person's mind," he said. "At the end of the day, who are we to stop her? Di ba? Who are we to stop her? It is the people of the district who decide, and only them," Mikey added. Not anybody's business Mikey said administration critics should not give too much meaning to President Arroyo's frequent visits to Pampanga. "She is the president of our country. She doesn't only visit Pampanga, she visits Bacolod, she visits Iloilo. Pampanga is her hometown, her home province. At the twilight of her presidential years I'm sure she would want to make sure that everything in her district is okay." Mikey said he does not personally prefer any political direction for his mother when her term expires because this was "none of [his] business." He also asked other political personalities to stop speculating on the President's political plans after 2010. Nograles, who earlier said President Arroyo is better off not seeking a House seat after the presidency, should likewise mind his own business in the House, said the presidential son. "Instead of advising the president publicly on what she should do with her life, he should first make sure that he will implement his promised reforms in Congress," said Mikey, adding that some congressmen have been "grumbling" about Nograles' leadership. Mixed reactions President Arroyo's reported House bid has gotten mixed reactions from various politicians. While some of her allies have naturally welcomed the supposed plan, others, like Nograles, were not as eager. Senator Edgardo Angara said it was "improbable" that President Arroyo would run for Congress next year, as that would mean cutting short her term so that she could campaign. "I doubt it. She will have to cut short her term. Why would she do that?" Angara said. Those against the administration in particular slammed the rumored political plan. "Any talk about her running for Congress in a presidential system is merely intended to diffuse the outrage against her move to amend the Constitution and mislead the people into thinking that House Resolution 1109 is not a Palace-sponsored resolution," said Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares in a statement. HR 1109 is the controversial measure that calls on Congress to convene into a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution. Critics of the Arroyo administration allege that Charter change moves in the House, which is dominated by Mrs. Arroyo's allies, are meant to prolong her stay in power. Palace officials have denied having a hand in the House's moves. - GMANews.TV