Saturday, July 26, 2008
Estrada won’t attend Arroyo’s SonaFORMER President Joseph Estrada said he will not attend the State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the House of Representatives on Monday.
According to Margaux Salcedo, the former leader will not attend the Sona despite receiving a formal invitation from Congress because he does not want to waste his time listening to the “fairy tale” story of the economy.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
The former President was ousted from his post by a popular uprising in 2001 which catapulted then Vice President Arroyo to the presidency.
Estrada was arrested and detained for a plunder charge. He was convicted in September last year but was pardoned by Mrs. Arroyo a month later.
Salcedo stressed that rather than to listen to Arroyo, Estrada will just listen to the truths from the Filipino masses.
“The truth of severe hunger, the truth of worsening poverty, the truth of rising inflation, the truth of a worse economy, and the truth that no less than the World Bank has assessed the Philippines to be the most corrupt country in East Asia,” she said.
She added that Estrada believes that proclamations of “progress and sound economic fundamentals” would be like rubbing salt on the wounds of the poor who are the ones hurting from the real state of the nation today.
Even the President’s economic adviser, Albay Governor Joey Salceda, admitted that the Arroyo government is still wanting in fulfilling Mrs. Arroyo’s 2007 Sona.
But Salceda said the Arroyo administration has also done much to uplift the lives of ordinary Filipinos over the past seven years.
Several senators, including Panfilo Lacson, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and Joker Arroyo, said they were not interested in showing up for Mrs. Arroyo’s eighth Sona.
Five congressmen – partly-list Representatives Saturnino Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño of Bayan Muna; Liza Masa and Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela; and Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis – also said they would not attend the same event.
Earlier, a survey conducted from July 1 to 14 by pollster firm Pulse Asia said there is “much skepticism as regards the truthfulness” of President Arroyo’s Sonas.
Among those aware (60 percent) of the Sona, “a big plurality (46 percent) nationwide believe these Sonas had not been truthful, with another almost equally large number (41 percent) being undecided as regards their truthfulness.”
Mindanao had the highest percentage of people who did not believe in Arroyo’s Sonas with a slight majority of 53 percent saying her Sonas were not truthful.
Urban Visayas registered the highest percentage of people who believed that Arroyo’s Sonas were truthful with 21 percent. (AH/Sunnex)
ERAP, LIKE OTHERS, WILL NOT ATTEND GMA’S SONA07/24/2008 | 08:34 PMMANILA, Philippines – Former President Joseph Estrada will not attend President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address in Congress on Monday although he has already received his formal invitation from Congress, a press statement said Thursday night.
The statement came after four senators – Senate Pro tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr, Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Sen. Joker Arroyo – said they were not interested in showing up for Mrs Arroyo’s 8th SONA.
Five congressmen – partly-list Representatives Saturnino Ocampo and Teodoro Casiño of Bayan Muna; Liza Masa and Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela; and Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis – have also said earlier that they would not attend the same event.
“There is no personal reason behind Estrada’s decision not to attend as he has already said time and again that he has already forgiven those responsible for his ouster in 2001. He simply believes that it would be a waste of time to go to Congress only to listen to the fairy tale story of the economy from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,” the statement, issued by Estrada’s spokesperson Margaux Salcedo, said.
Estrada, in the same statement, said that he believes that what is more important is listening to the “truths” being told by the Filipino masses rather than listening to the “lies of President Arroyo.”
The former president was ousted from his post by a popular uprising in 2001 which catapulted then Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to power.
Estrada was arrested and detained even as he faced plunder charges filed against him.
Estrada was convicted for plunder in September 2007 but was pardoned by Mrs Arroyo on Oct. 25, 2007.
He walked out of his detention cell a day later.
On Thursday, Estrada said in his statement that he would want to listen to the people’s “truths.”
He identified these as the truth of severe hunger, the truth of worsening poverty, the truth of rising inflation, the truth of a worse economy, and the truth that no less than the World Bank has assessed the Philippines to be the most corrupt country in East Asia.
Listening to Arroyo’s “proclamations of progress and sound economic fundamentals would be like rubbing salt on the wounds of the poor who are the ones who are hurting from the real state of the nation today,” he added. – GMANews.TV
ERAP SAYS NO TIME FOR GMA’S FAIRY TALES
07/26/2008 | 09:34 AMMANILA, Philippines — Former President Joseph Estrada turned down an invitation of the House of Representatives to attend President Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.In a statement, Estrada said it will a waste of time for himself to go to Congress and listen to the “fairy tales” of Arroyo.
“It would be a waste of time to go to Congress only to listen to the fairy tale story of the economy from Mrs. Arroyo. I believe that what is more important than listening to her lies is to listen from the truth that the Filipino masses are now suffering from hunger, the truth that there is worsening poverty in our country today,” Estrada said.
Estrada said the Arroyo administration must admit the fact that there is “rising inflation, worse economy in the country today.”
Arroyo must also admit that corruption in government has worsened under her watch, with no less than the World Bank tagging the country as the most corrupt country in East Asia.
“Any proclamation of progress and sound economic fundamentals would be like rubbing salt on the wounds of the poor who are the ones hurting from the real state of the nation today,” said Estrada, who was ousted in a popular uprising in 2001 following his aborted impeachment over allegations that he siphoned off tobacco tax revenues and accepted illegal gambling money.
Estrada was subsequently charged with plunder and detained under the administration of Arroyo, who succeeded him as president. Last year, the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court found him guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
Arroyo, however, granted Estrada full pardon soon after the verdict, citing the need for unity and national reconciliation. Estrada has maintained his innocence and that he was a victim of a conspiracy among the elite, including church leaders, generals and big business, with Arroyo as a willing accomplice. - GMANews.TV
Estrada to miss SONA, won’t listen to Arroyo ‘fairy tale’
MANILA, Philippines — Former president Joseph Estrada will not attend President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address on Monday, saying he does not want to waste his time to listen to a “fairy tale story.”Estrada has received an invitation from Congress to attend the event.
Estrada believes that any proclamation of sound economy will be like “rubbing salt on the wounds of the poor.”
“He believes that more important than listening to the lies of President Arroyo is listening to the truths from the Filipino masses: the truth of severe hunger, the truth of worsening poverty, the truth of rising inflation, the truth of a worse economy, and the truth that no less than the World Bank has assessed the Philippines to be the most corrupt country in East Asia,” Salcedo said.
“He simply believes that it would be a waste of time to go to Congress only to listen to the fairy tale story of the economy from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,” said Estrada through his spokesperson Margaux Salcedo.
