Geneva Pinoys call for Gloria ouster

February 19, 2008

Filipinos in Geneva, Switzerland have called for the resignation of President Arroyo after she, her husband and other government officials were linked to the anomalous $329-million National Broadband Network deal with China’s ZTE Corp.

The Geneva Forum for Philippine Concerns (GFPC) called the President a “hypocrite” when she vowed to put an end to “the legacy of corruption” in the government while she herself, her government allies and husband were involved in the bribery scandal.

“She put herself into the proverbial problem of finger-pointing: Three of her other fingers were pointing at herself,” GFPC said in a statement. “She does not have to look back in history or look at other institutions

to tell the Filipino people about corruption. She just has to look into her presidency, her bedroom, and her family dining table to see what corruption personified is.”

The group said that Mrs. Arroyo is destroying the country’s democratic institutions and freedoms, having control of the Congress, the police and the military.

“She has built a legacy of corruption and scandals against which some dictators in other countries would pale in comparison. The list of tainted projects just goes on and on – the NBN-ZTE Project, South Rail and North Rail Project, Transco bidding etc., simply showing the impunity in corruption of her government,” the group said.

GFPC urged other Filipino migrant groups around the world to collectively discuss the “immorality and gangsterism” of the Arroyo administration and to make their voices heard in the Philippines and around the world.

“Let us clamor and act for change. Let us inform the various embassies and consulates of our outrage through letters, dialog or picketing. We call on the Filipino community in Switzerland to stand up and be counted in the people’s movement to push for the resignation of GMA,” they said.

Meanwhile, United States ambassador Kristie Kenney said the ZTE controversy stirred by the statements of Senate star witness Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. is part of a “lively, noisy democracy.”

“This is a very lively, noisy democracy, no shortage of opinions and views, something I’m pretty familiar with in the United States. If you’re paying attention to our presidential campaign, there are a lot of views being expressed and a lot of noise and sound, that’s part of democracy,” Kenney told reporters during the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Balikatan exercises.

The envoy said the exchanges between Lozada and government officials on the anomalous contract is part of a healthy democracy.

Kenney said she hopes that peaceful expression of views would continue and that the rule and law and the Constitution would be respected.

“Right now, we’re looking at people expressing views peacefully, enthusiastically. I think what we’re seeing now is a lot of citizen interest in their government and on things that go on in the country, I think that’s very healthy,” she said.

She also assured that the US government is not affected by the present controversies hounding the Arroyo government.

“The current issues and rallies do not affect the US with regard to the situation in the country,” Kenney said, adding that the US Embassy has not reached any decision to issue a travel advisory.

Meanwhile, she advised President Arroyo to understand the call of the people since they have the right to express views peacefully.

Kenney visited the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) national headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo , Quezon City yesterday to lead the opening of the Balikatan joint exercises ceremony.

With Gina Peralta-Elorde

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