‘Moral governance the real issue in polls’

Fighting back attacks by allies of President Arroyo, estranged Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. accused the Arroyo administration yesterday of corruption.

"Our people have had enough of corruption and the blatant raiding of public coffers for personal gain and vested political interest," he said.

"One such spectacle is the Diosdado Macapagal Highway which has been found to be grossly overpriced. All too often, we see transactions and contracts which are touted as being legal and supposedly for the public benefit, even as these same deals are immoral and ridden with corruption."

Guingona said "the need for moral governance, and for programs and reforms that will rebuild our country" is the real issue in the May 10 elections.

"We must advise against practices that have betrayed and eroded the very spirit of EDSA II," he said.

"The ones who committed treason to EDSA Dos are those who have allowed corrupt deals and manipulated our institutions for financial and political gains."

Guingona issued the statement after apparently being accused by pro-administration critics that he had agreed to be an adviser of opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. for "political convenience."

Guingona said he had agreed to be Poe’s adviser only after the standard-bearer of the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) adopted an eight-point action program which involves, among others, reforming the pork barrel system to eliminate graft, enacting a law defining and prohibiting political dynasties, empowering local governments, and infusing moral conduct in government.

"If I had wanted to take the easy route, if I were motivated by political convenience, I could have easily just gone back to Lakas and accept the offer to lead the senatorial ticket of the administration," he said.

"But I believe that we must now move to return moral governance to our country with a leader who has the sincerity, social intelligence and the political will to pursue programs and reforms that will rebuild our country."

During a press conference Monday, Guingona said he will not accept any government position in a Poe administration.

He denied reports that he accepted Poe’s offer as adviser because his wife, Ruth de Lara-Guingona, was running for mayor of Gingoog City, while his son Teofisto III was seeking a seat in Congress representing the second district of Bukidnon under the KNP.

"My decision to accept the offer of Mr. Poe to be his adviser had nothing to do with the candidacies of my wife and my son," he said.

Guingona said his wife and son decided to run for office only after he announced last November that he was not taking part in the May 10 elections so he could focus on pushing for the advocacies of the Bangon! reform movement.

Guingona said he did not defect to the opposition but merely accepted Poe’s offer to be his adviser after the latter adopted Bangon’s eight-point program of action in his government platform.

"I did not join the KNP but I accepted FPJ’s invitation to be his adviser," he said. "(I have remained) an independent after I resigned as president of the administration’s Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats in 2003."

However, Deputy Speaker for the Visayas Raul Gonzalez said Guingona joined Poe’s camp for his own personal benefit, and not for the country.

"His move to the opposition camouflage his personal interest –because members of his family are under the ticket of FPJ, because his personal agenda was thwarted to make way for a more effective economic formula."

Gonzalez said he hopes Guingona could help Poe and ousted President Joseph Estrada "clarify the vague platform" he has been peddling the voters.

"Does Guingona know," he asked.

"Heaven forbid if he doesn’t, otherwise they would soon begin to disagree. For a man who is running for the highest office of the land, this candidate has so far failed to state why he is running, and what he intends to do."

Gonzalez said it was good riddance for Guingona to have left the Arroyo Cabinet as his objective was just "to embarrass" the Chief Executive.

"On the contrary, it only succeeded in clearing the air for the Arroyo camp to shed off so much unwanted baggage," he said.

"(Guingona’s absence in the administration) will definitely not affect the operations of the government machinery."

Meanwhile, four pro-administration congressmen said the aborted meeting between Poe and Sen. Panfilo Lacson shows that the opposition is "very weak" and fragmented.

"Lacson has a future agenda to protect, and will not allow an upstart to upstage him," said Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella.

"Ping knows that Poe does not decide for himself so how can the actor talk if his decision is not this," said Davao City Rep, Prospero Nograles.

"(The meeting) doesn’t matter as both don’t have a chinaman’s chance of defeating the President (in the May 10 elections)," said Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier.

"The aborted meeting discouraged opposition followers who might just give up on Poe and Lacson," said Bulacan Rep. Willie Villarama. — Sammy Santos, Delon Porcalla