Palace backtracks on branding Noynoy retreat a ‘gimmick’

Even as it blamed the media for playing up the word, Malacañang on Friday backtracked from its statement that Senator Benigno Simeon “Noynoy" Aquino III's spiritual retreat could be a political gimmick. In an interview on radio dzXL, deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said fellow deputy presidential spokesperson Anthony Golez Jr. may have meant differently in using the word "gimmickry," saying the Palace regards spiritual retreats highly. "Ang pinagusapan na pag-retreat ni Senator Noynoy, alam natin si Pangulo [Gloria Macapagal Arroyo] mismo is a very religious person. Nagsisimba yan, nagmimisa araw-araw (About the issue of Senator Noynoy's retreat, we know the President herself is a very religious person. She goes to mass every day)," Olivar said. "So hindi talaga gagawa ng ganyang klaseng remark kay Noynoy kung pinaguusapan retreat, mahalaga yan. Irerespeto natin yan (So we won't make such a remark against Noynoy if we're talking about a retreat. We respect that)," he added.

Aquino is currently in Zamboanga City to undergo a spiritual retreat to decide on whether he would run for president in 2010 as Liberal Party's standard bearer. At a press briefing on Thursday, Golez said: "We respect whatever gimmickry, whatever ways on how he can arrive at a decision." Olivar admitted that Golez could have used a better term. "Maaring may mas magandang salita kesa sa gimik. Masakit sa tenga yan (Perhaps there could've been a better term than 'gimmick.' That's not exactly nice to hear)." But Olivar said Golez's statement should have been taken into context, that what he meant was that any politician has the right to go on retreat and do what he needs to do. He also said some media outfits muddle issues more than clarifying them "Minsan nga ang nangyayari sa dyaryo ang salita lalong pinagmumulan ng di pagkaunawaan, sa halip na bumigay ng salita ng paglilinaw at pagliwanag sa usapin. I think this is an example of that (Sometimes some newspapers cause misunderstandings instead of clarity. I think this is an example of that)," Olivar said. The clamor for Aquino to run for president rose after Aquino's mother, former President and democracy icon Corazon Aquino, passed away August 1 after battling colon cancer for over a year. On Tuesday, LP president Manuel "Mar" Roxas II - who has long announced his intention to seek the presidency - announced that he would give way to, and support, Aquino if Noynoy pursues the presidency in 2010. - GMANews.TV