Arroyo leads Independence Day flag-raising for last time

For the last time as President of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led early Saturday the flag-raising ceremonies for the country’s 112th Independence Day at the Rizal Park (Luneta) in Manila. Mrs. Arroyo, who will step down on June 30, arrived at 6:45 a.m. and was escorted by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim to the flag-raising venue amid arrival honors, according to a report on dzBB radio. She also laid a wreath at the monument of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. Among the officials with her were Armed Forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit and National Historical Institute head Ambeth Ocampo. Other ranking government officials, some of them staying at their posts after Mrs. Arroyo steps down on June 30, led flag-raising ceremonies in the country. Chief Justice Renato Corona led ceremonies in Kawit, Cavite, where labor officials set up a job fair, according to a report on government-run dzRB radio. For his part, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Oscar Inocentes led wreath-laying ceremonies at the monument of Andres Bonifacio in Caloocan City. While this year's Independence Day commemortion highlighted the achievements of Mrs. Arroyo, militant groups staged a protest march arround Manila to belie the present administration's claims. Mrs. Arroyo presided over a grand parade showcasing her achievements for the last nine years, with the theme “Kalayaan: Tagumpay ng Bayan." But groups allied with the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) calimed that Arroyo has undermined the true meaning of Independence day. “Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has undermined and reduced the meaning of Independence Day to a mere national holiday with that can be moved around because of holiday economics. Today she will use Independence Day for self-serving ends to promote her so-called legacy. It’s an utmost form of disrespect to our forefathers who fought for freedom from foreign rule," said Bayan secretary general Renato M. Reyes Jr. Bayan also hit governmenet extravagance for spending P10 million for the Independence Day rites. Floats in the parade reportedly cost some P300,000 to P500,000. A total of 11 floats will be paraded Sturday afternoon. “The money spent for the parade is ridiculous taken in the context of the biggest budget deficit in history last year, P293 billion, set by the outgoing government," the Bayan leader added. --LBG, GMANews.TV