Palace brushes aside Noynoy call to follow Cory advocacy

Malacañang on Saturday brushed aside Sen. Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III’s suggestion for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to follow the advocacies of the late former President Corazon Aquino instead of building a monument for her. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Sen. Aquino’s statement was not necessary since Mrs. Arroyo is already “following" the advocacy of Mrs. Aquino for democracy and good governance. “We would like to assure Noynoy Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is one with his mother sa pagtaguyod ng demokrasya at pagtaguyod ng mabuting pamamahala for good governance (We would like to assure Noynoy Mrs. Arroyo is one with Mrs. Aquino in upholding democracy and good governance)," he said on government-run dzRB radio. Mrs. Arroyo on Wednesday ordered the National Historical Institute (NHI) to undertake the “immediate construction" of the Cory monument in Rizal Park “to honor for posterity the memory of an extraordinary woman." The President gave the NHI a six-month deadline to complete the statue. (See: Cory monument to rise in Manila) On Friday, Sen. Aquino said his mother, who died of colon cancer last Aug. 1, would be happier if Mrs. Arroyo promoted good governance instead of the politics of survival. “Mas-matutuwa ang Nanay ko kung susundin niya ang pamamalakad na nagpapakita ng good governance, hindi “yong politics of survival (My mother will be happier if she promotes good governance But Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo already made up her mind to construct the monument, which he said is for the benefit of future generations. “Of course the president has already decided to do this and I think this is not more for us, (this is) especially for the future generation, the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has decided to honor the memory of President Corazon Aquino appropriately," he said. Mrs. Aquino’s leadership restored democracy in the Philippines after she led the 1986 EDSA People Power uprising that toppled the Marcos dictatorship. She showed the world that authoritarian regimes could be brought down through peaceful means. On the other hand, surveys show that Mrs. Arroyo is the least popular Philippine president in recent history. She had been accused of cheating in the 2004 presidential polls, which she denied vehemently.

In 2005, Mrs. Aquino openly called for the resignation of Mrs. Arroyo over the “Hello, Garci" scandal involving alleged fraud in the 2004 presidential elections. She also led protest actions against Mrs. Arroyo’s declaration of a state of emergency in January 2006. Remonde also chided Sen. Aquino for his claim that he regretted voting for Mrs. Arroyo in the 2004 presidential elections. Mrs. Aquino had supported Mrs. Arroyo in the 2004 elections, but broke away from her in 2005 in the wake of the “Hello Garci" controversy involving taped conversations that indicated Mrs. Arroyo may have cheated in the 2004 polls. “We are very sad to hear that kind of commentary from the good senator Noynoy Aquino. We can assure him at the end of the term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, those who voted for her in 2004 will not regret their choice," Remonde said. He also chided some political figures for trying to score brownie points with prospective voters by taking potshots at Mrs. Arroyo. Remonde said it has become the attitude of some candidates to attack and criticize Mrs. Arroyo “as a ticket to the attainment of the political ambitions." “But that is their own right, but whether in the end the people will agree with that, in the end (whether) that is the best kind of politics, whether that is the best kind of campaigning, it will be up to the people to judge," he said. - GMANews.TV