Glo's Advice

Arroyo should heed her own advice

Inquirer News Service

AS a participant of Edsa People Power II, I rejoiced at what I considered our people's "victory." To memorialize the events, I made a scrapbook. Recently, I went over it and came across a newspaper article dated Oct. 26, 2000, titled "Gloria says economic problem will worsen unless Erap [Joseph Estrada] resigns."

In the article, then-Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo asked for Estrada's resignation due to a "crisis in confidence." She also said: "... a political problem requires a political solution… It pains me to say that the only solution is resignation." The country is now experiencing the same kind of "crisis in confidence." President Arroyo should follow her own advice. She should resign for the sake of our country. We are in a crisis primarily because of President Arroyo, not because of our system of government. Any form of government can only be as good as its leader.

In 2000, surveys said that 54 percent of respondents wanted President Estrada to resign. Today, surveys say 70 percent want President Arroyo out. Isn't that convincing enough?

Ms Arroyo gave sound advice then. She should be humble enough to accept her own prescription.

In that same article, the then-spokesman of the Lakas-CMD Party, Rep. Hernando Perez said, "…the party will use all means to have a change in leadership." Why should President Arroyo's party now criticize the opposition for doing the same?

Ms Arroyo has betrayed the trust our people gave her at Edsa II. Corruption charges, graver than those that the president she ousted was accused of, have been thrown her way. What makes Ms Arroyo more dangerous is that, in her selfish desire to cling to power, she irresponsibly encourages threats of dividing our country.

I strongly agree with Conrado de Quiros (Inquirer, 8/03/05): "… Ousting Ms Arroyo by itself won't solve all our problems, but it sure as hell, or heaven, will solve a great many of them. The fact that we had a procession of corrupt presidents doesn't make stopping a current one less imperative, it makes it more so!"

I appeal to all nationalistic Filipinos! Let us not get tired of going back to the streets to demand morality and integrity in our leadership!

ZENAIDA ALFON, 101 Cosmopolitan Tower, Valero Street, Makati City