59 House Allies, Family Joined GMA's US Trip

[chua_riwap]

Dami pala amuyong........grabe!

Siguradong nagkalat sila sa laban ni Pacquiao.





The Daily Tribune
24 June 2008


http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080624hed4.html

President Arroyo was yesterday scored by the opposition, after learning that her entourage consists of at least 59 members of the House of Representatives, along with at least two senators, apart from their relatives who joined them, as well as also having the Arroyo family members with her on a US working visit.

For the opposition, a trip to the United States while ordinary Filipinos grapple with the unabated rise in the prices oil and rice and the recent devastation inflicted by typhoon “Frank” leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, who is also the president of the United Opposition, bristled at the large entourage she has for her US “working visit” and her refusal to even cut short her trip to personally attend to the needs of the poor Filipino people. It was worse, as the President reportedly left with a large entourage that includes political allies and family members, Binay stressed.

“If there is indeed a need to visit the United States - and even that is a big question mark – Mrs. Arroyo can make do with a small entourage, and not a large one that includes allies and family members,” Binay said. Binay also said Mrs. Arroyo and her large entourage left while the country reels from the effects of weekly increases in the price of oil, and the uncontrolled increase in rice prices. He added that the large path of destruction left by typhoon Frank - which spans Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao – also calls to question the moral basis for bringing along such a large group to the US .

“Working visits are paid for by the Philippine government. It is laudable if the congressmen and the members of the Arroyo family are paying for their trip at their own expenses, but, then again, the people have grown used to falsehoods under this administration that no one will believe them even if this were true,” he said.

The list of those who joined Mrs. Arroyo on her visit to the US, which is not even a state visit was not made available to the media. Binay urged the administration to be more sensitive to the suffering of poor Filipinos, adding that the dole-outs being distributed by the administration are palliatives that do not address the main concerns of the poor.

“The Arroyo administration says one thing but does the exact opposite. It says it is concerned with the welfare of the poor and this is why it gives dole-outs. And at the same instance, the administration brings along allies and family members to the US on a trip that is most likely funded by the taxpayers,” he said.

Mrs. Arroyo left Saturday for the US on a working visit, together with an entourage that includes 59 congressmen, two senators, 10 Cabinet members, and the wives and children of some of these officials. Mrs. Arroyo arrived in the US shortly before midnight Sunday (Washington time) on the second leg of her 10 day working visit.

The President planed in by special flight from Fresno, California and was welcomed at the Dulles National Airport by officials and staff of the Philippine embassy in Washington led by Philippine Ambassador to the United States Willy Gaa. Upon arrival at the Willard Hotel, Malacañang claimed the President convened a meeting of members of the Cabinet accompanying her in her US trip to assess the progress of the relief and rescue operations in the wake of the devastation wrought by “Typhoon” Frank in several provinces in the Philippines.

Of special concern to the President, Philippine officials said, is the fate of the passengers still trapped inside the hold of the MV Princess of Stars ferry, which sank off Sibuyan Island at the height of the typhoon Saturday.

The President yesterday began her first round of meetings in the US capital when she was slated to confer with Deputy State Secretary John Negroponte at the Willard Hotel’s presidential receiving room. Also scheduled is Mrs .Arroyo’s meeting with officials of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to firm up the Philippines’ bid for MCC Compact status which would pave the way for increased US funding assistance for the country’s anti-poverty programs.

The MCC is a US government corporation created by President Bush at the turn of the millennium to “regard the countries that govern well” by way of US assistance for anti-poverty and sustainable development programs.

The Philippines has already received $9.4 million in assistance from the Millennium Challenge Account Threshold Program (MCATP) for its Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program; $3.1 million for the Run After The Smugglers (RATS) program; and $1.4 million for the Revenue Protection Service (RIPS) program.

[russpogi]

Tsk tsk tsk...

[vito corleone]

pakapalan na talaga ng mukha. . .patigasan na talaga ng apog

[freeloader]

Pare pareho lang yan mga taong umaangal na yan. Ilagay mo sa Malacanang iyan ganyan din gagawin nyan.

[coiter]

hehe parang yung isang partylist congressman na panay tira sa US at laban sa kapitalismo. pero galit na galit nung nadeny ng entry sa mismong bansang tinitira nya. labo.

e wala namang dahilan para pumunta si gma sa US at imeet si bush e. patapos na term ni bush sa nov. hintayin na lang nya ang bagong presidente. or baka naman para may dahilan na naman syang bumyahe next year?

[Altis6453]

Well, maybe it'd be better if these newspapers list down the names of the congressmen who joined GMA's presidential junket. Ask the COA to audit their expenses immediately upon their return.

[Honda97]

They should be here in the Philippines to make sure that their constituents get the necessary aid they need in this time of calamity.

[shadow]

ito yun mga mga tonggressmen na kasama pero direct hit yun areas nila

Among those in typhoon affected areas are Romualdez, Apostol, and Salvacion of Leyte, Villarosa of Mindoro Oriental, Seachon-Lanete of Masbate, Diaz of Zambales, and Coquilla of Eastern Samar, where typhoon Frank made landfall.

[shadow]

sagot ni House speaker Prospero Nograles...

Asked whether the representatives of congressional districts hard-hit by Frank should cut their trip and hurry home, Nograles said: “First line of defense are local officials. Congressmen just look for national funds to help out.”

[shadow]

sagot ni House speaker Prospero Nograles...

Asked whether the representatives of congressional districts hard-hit by Frank should cut their trip and hurry home, Nograles said: “First line of defense are local officials. Congressmen just look for national funds to help out.”