Only clear about Gloria exit by 2007

LIGHT-HEARTED but earnest efforts of a “friendly” home province crowd to get a categorical answer from him on whether he is breaking away from or still standing by President Arroyo failed to budge former president Fidel V. Ramos from his “confusing” rhetoric about the real status of his relations with the Chief Executive.

Beyond repeating what he had scrawled in marginal notes to Secretary Gabriel Claudio’s press statement of January 12 that “ my support is for the national interest – not for particular leaders,” Ramos chose to be flippant about nearly every question asked related to the issue in the open forum that followed his remarks at the Star Plaza hotel at noon.

Mayor Benjamin S. Lim who himself had called for President Arroyo’s resignation in the wake of the “Hello, Garci” scandal, set the tone of the gathering that invited a very select group of local officials, civic and business leaders and non-government organization representatives by saying in his introduction of Ramos that “credibility and trust are the key elements for leadership.”

“If we just allow (the present situation) to run its own course, the country (will go) to the dogs,” Lim said even as he appealed to Ramos to “spell out for us in clear and equivocal terms your (stand).”

As though stressing that Ramos he can be more candid in Dagupan than in any other place, the mayor said: “Mr. President, you are in friendly territory, please enlighten us now.”

Ramos however chose to dwell largely on Claudio’s press statement about the January 11 evening meeting of Arroyo, himself (Ramos), House Speaker Jose C. de Venecia, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Claudio at the old Macapagal residence in Forbes Park preparatory to yesterday’s Lakas National Directorate Meeting

He expounded on his scribbled marginal notes to the press statement, pointing out that “jovial” was not the term to describe the discussion among them but “serious” as it concerned a broad range of subjects from the Visiting Forces Agreement to aquaculture, infrastructure and his (Ramos’) investment –promoting trips for the country abroad.

While agreeing on most of the points stated by Claudio in the press statement, the former President who wants Arroyo to yield his seat by 2007 to pave the way for a change in the form and structure of government, took issue with the line “unmistakable reiteration of the two Presidents support for each other” to describe the substance and tone of the Forbes Park meeting.

He said his support was for the overall national interest, not to any particular leader or leaders.
To the optimistic note contained in the statement that after the meeting, Lakas (his and Arroyo’s political party) will come out being more united and bonded than ever before, Ramos’ terse comment was: “We hope.”

Later in his discourse before some 100 persons inside the packed function room, Ramos also voiced his displeasure at the constant reference by some quarters particularly De Venecia to a parliament patterned after the “French model.” He said such references were “not palatable to me due to its being almost like a status quo (with Arroyo at the helm) for 4 more years under the 1987 charter.”

As in his answer during an ambush interview at the Clark Special Economic Zone earlier Friday morning before coming over to Pangasinan, Ramos rejected a scenario of shared powers between the President and the incoming Prime Minister until 2010. Such a setup, according to him, is just “status quo” not a genuine reform.

Among the locals government officials seen or invited to the gathering hosted by Mayor Lim were Mayors Artemio Chan (Pozorrubio), Hernani Braganza (Alaminos) Nestor Pulido (Anda) Alfonso Soriano (Malasiqui), Rodolfo Columbres (San Jacinto); vice mayors Julian ‘Ayoy’ Resuello (San Carlos City), Carlos Lopez (Asingan), Berex Abalos (Mangaldan) Liberato Villegas (San Fabian), and ex-mayors Deog Magliba (San Fabian), Tito Sarzaba (Mangaldan), Bernie Vergara (Baguio City) and Leon Rivera ( Alaminos City);

Almost all councilors of Asingan and Dagupan City, business and civic leaders like the Samsons and Villaflors, incoming IBP national president Feliciano Bautista, Region I Medical Center hospital director Jesus Canto, and several police officers and the local media were also in attendance.