Palace: Washington Post report a wake-up call for local pols

Malacañang said today that a harsh critique of the Philippines by a leading US newspaper should be taken as a wake-up call for politicians. In a stinging rebuke, one of America's most respected newspapers reported that “politicians who win elections in this former US colony have one of the worst records in Southeast Asia for stiffing the poor, coddling the rich and indulging themselves." In a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Ricardo Saludo said the report must be taken as a challenge to politicians and the next president to fulfill their election campaign promises. “It [report] must be taken into consideration. This is a challenge addressed to the candidates and even to the next president to deliver their platforms," Saludo said. The article titled “In Philippines, pre-vote largess doesn't translate into post-vote progress," has deemed pre-election scenario in the country as a politician’s showcase of talent, while the aftermath, a source of disappointment. “Pre-election good times are almost always followed by post-election betrayal," the article authored by Blaine Harden read. The article also cited bad governance, political killings, rising crime rate, Filipino immigrants, and the presence of terrorist groups, as reasons why the Philippines remains a “poor" country. However, Saludo said the article was not even as offensive as some of the local articles about Philippine politics, and that the Washington Post article was not for Filipinos. “I think it does not affect the public perception in the Philippines. I believe that there are more offending articles in the local media than foreign," Saludo said. Meanwhile, Saludo made an appeal to the public to focus on making the elections work, instead of criticizing the Commission on Elections (Comelec). “So far, we have been receiving good reports from the Comelec regarding the delivery and production of election materials. This is not the time for throwing criticisms, we should help each other to ensure the integrity of the coming elections," Saludo said, adding that problems should always be expected, particularly when a new policy is being adopted. "This is our first time to hold an automated election. Whenever you try something new, normally, there will be concerns," Saludo said. — LBG/HGS, GMANews.TV