GMA skips off political, security issues
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with
Concepcion Mayor Raul Banias and Governor Neil
Tupas, Sr. during the President's visit to
Concepcion, Iloilo over the weekend to turn-over
several pro-poor projects. PNS PHOTO
Concepcion, Iloilo-An evasive President Arroyo refused answering questions involving political or security issues during a media interaction here over the weekend.
Shortly after lunch at Barangay Agnaga, Mrs. Arroyo came over to the table where members of the media were seated for the interaction.
When asked for her comment regarding the reported alliance between rightist elements and the militant left aimed at ousting her from Malacaņang, Mrs. Arroyo answered, "I will not talk about that. You know I'm here to talk about economic issues, not political or security issues."
Worth noting also is that from the time she arrived in Iloilo City Saturday morning until she left for Manila the following morning, she did not mention nor comment about the recapture of mutineer Captain Nicanor Faeldon last Friday evening nor the left-right alliance during her speeches.
Chief of Staff Mike Defensor, however, admitted that the President is bothered by reports of destabilization.
"It has bothered the President in the sense that every time we're taking off, every time our economy is picking up, the opposition is creating a scenario of instability," said Defensor, who accompanied Mrs. Arroyo on her visit to Iloilo.
During the 20-minute media interaction, President Arroyo highlighted the tax reforms, her administration's political will and infrastructure projects.
She said that she has 'no leeway' when it comes to increasing the Value Added Tax rate to 12% from the present rate of 10% if the conditions under the law are present.
Under Republic Act 9337, the new VAT law, President Arroyo can increase the EVAT by two percent if the ratio of VAT collection last year is 2.8 percent of the gross domestic product and the 2005 budget deficit is 1.5 percent above the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
But she quickly added that an increase in the VAT rate "means we will have more money for farm-to-market roads, irrigation systems, (and) railroads."
"That could afford more of what we're inaugurating here," she said, referring to various infrastructure projects she inaugurated, one of which is the 1-kilometer, P10 million worth, newly-concreted Ajuy-Concepcion road, which was first built by his father, former President Diosdado Macapagal.
She announced that she has ordered the release of a total of P1.5 billion for infrastructure and education projects, saying that this was all because of the EVAT, and that the government finally had the political will.
"Well you know this is why I am able to announce a P500 million worth of releases a day because we finally had the political will to impose taxes," she stressed. "These we're able to do because of our tax reforms precisely."
She also expressed support for the proposed rehabilitation of the railway system of Panay island, saying that Iloilo would benefit from the 700,000 tourists who go to Boracay island each year.
In sum, Defensor told The News Today, the President is focused on governance, the delivery of services and "doing what has to be done."