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“President
Arroyo failed to declare categorically in her state of the nation
address that she is stepping down from the presidency when her term
ends on 2010” said Prospero de Vera, a professor of the UP
National College of Public Administration and Governance in a forum
organized by the CBCP News and Catholic Media Network.
De Vera said he was frustrated with
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address.
He was disappointed that the president missed out to discuss on
the opportunity to heal the nation, the first promise she gave to
those who showed up at EDSA in 2001.
"I think I would have clapped
more if she said categorically and told her allies in Congress do
not do anymore Cha-cha and leave that to the next president to lead.
A statement as categorical as that would shut up a lot of her critics.
But she didn't say anything related to that. She did not tell her
allies to stop Cha-cha," De Vera stressed.
However, De Vera, unlike Ms. Arroyo’s
other critics said he would like to see Mrs. Arroyo push through
with her plans to run for representative of Pampanga.
He believes that even if she becomes
a member of the House of Representatives, her allies would soon
desert her and pledge their allegiance to the newly elected president.
“In our country’s history,
never has Congress locked horns with the President. The scenario
will be that she will just be a representative of Pampanga,”
De Vera added.
On the other hand, Makati Business
Club (MBC) executive director Alberto Lim called the SONA “a
rehash of existing projects”.
“I did not see much substance in the president’s SONA.
Mrs. Arroyo spent more time lashing out at her critics”, Lim
added.
Lim said they were expecting new
announcements from the President, but to their dismay she just narrated
her various accomplishments done with the help of several politicians.
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