Opposition gift to Arroyo: Poor man’s instant noodle

Opposition stalwarts know that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is getting older Thursday, and it will be a fitting occasion for them to remind her she is not growing up--governance-wise, that is. Genuine Opposition (GO) spokesman Adel Tamano said Wednesday the best gift they could give Mrs Arroyo, who will be turning 60, is a bowl of instant noodle. The noodle is supposed to symbolize the plight of the poor who have yet to feel the trickle down effect of the so-called economic gains of the administration, he said. "We go back to the message that the people are going hungry and that the economic gains are not being felt by the people," Tamano said. The bowl of instant noodle that would be given to Mrs Arroyo was presented on Tuesday during the religious recollection of the GO senatorial candidates at Club Filipino, Greenhills, San Juan City. GO deputy campaign manager San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito said they are presenting the instant noodle to her because "this is the food of the ordinary people" and “we want her to have a taste of what they are eating everyday just to survive." Despite the political principles and agenda of GO and the administration’s Team Unity senatorial candidates, Tamano said the opposition remains a “true friend" of the President, supporting her call for a reconciliation and unity. "We support that call but it should be a principled unity and we call on [Mrs Arroyo] to acknowledge and address the issue of poverty and corruption. We are always [at] her side addressing these problems," he said. The opposition’s role, Tamano added, is to be a check-and-balance entity and to raise legitimate issues to the administration. "She should also consider and stop listening to the yes-men around her," he said. Meanwhile, GO senatorial candidate Francis Escudero’s birthday wish to Mrs Arroyo is a renewed strength and to discern what is right and proper and what is legal. "I hope she would find time to look back at her beginnings and the position she has now she owes not only to a few and those who are influential and in power but also to the people who put her there. I hope the people would her priority," Escudero said. - GMANews.TV