Philippine Political Opinions

Note: this picture was just downloaded from the web. I didn't edit it. Malacañang admitted yesterday that the Office of the President had exceeded its budget allocation for travel expenses by over P1 billion from 2001 to 2009 but insisted that there was nothing wrong with it. Deputy Executive Secretary for administration and finance Susana Vargas presented figures showing the overspending at a press briefing in Malacañang yesterday. Vargas disclosed that P1.4 billion had been allocated for local and foreign trips of the Office of the President (OP) from 2001 to 2009 but the actual amount spent was close to P2.5 billion. Vargas noted that on a yearly basis, the OP received P130 million for travel expenses until 2007, when the figure was raised to P170 million and then to P244.6 million each for 2008 and this year. Malacañang’s disclosure came on the heels of an announcement by Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto Guingona III that the OP exceeded its travel budget by P1.3 billion from 2002 to 200...

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo apologizes on Corazon "Cory" Cojuangco-Aquino's family about the said security detail pullout before their mom's death saying it's just a "bureaucratic slip-up". Press Secretary Cerge Remonde apologized to the Aquino family for their anguish over the incident and said the move was not intentional and even they (including the president) were shocked about the news. He also added that the President ordered the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police to extend all assistance to the Aquino family for the wake and burial of the country's first woman president. Asked if Mrs. Arroyo will still attend Aquino's wake, he said: "The President will do what she needs to do." He also appealed to the people in Manila not to put any political color to her action. Where Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, earlier said he is not keen on seeing Mrs. Arroyo at his mother's wake or funeral. He added, how...

Finally Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and US President Barack Obama met on Thursday afternoon (early Friday morning in Manila time) at the White House. The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes and was held at the Oval Office. Ms. Arroyo was accompanied by several people: Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, House Speaker Prospero Nograles, presidential adviser on climate change Heherson Alvarez, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Philippine Ambassador to the US Willy Gaa. "We are proud to have 4 million persons of Filipino ancestry contributing to our country each and every day in all walks of life. The fact that we have Filipino veterans who have walked side by side with American soldiers on behalf of freedom, all those things that have strengthened the relations of our two countries," he said hailing the relationship between the two allies. "I am very pleased that President Arroyo has made such good progress on ...

“At the end of this speech, I shall step down from this stage but not from the presidency…” Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said in her final SONA (State of the Nation Address) this afternoon, 27th of July, 2009. While wearing a purple terno on her final SONA (which is actually her 9th) at the House of Representatives that started and ended with a standing ovation, she addressed to all the citizens of the Philippines that she “never expressed desire” to extend herself beyond her term. Ms. Arroyo stressed that before her term will expire next year, she will fight for the ordinary Filipino and that there is much to do as the president until the last days. Arroyo also pointed out that a year is a long time and will continue to invest in the economy, the education and the environment. She also added that after this final SONA, contrary to what her critics says, there will be more work and less politics. She pointed out on the first part of her speech that when her father left the presidency...