Ramos to GMA: Make up for your shortcomings

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MANILA, Philippines - Reform, perform, and transform.

Former President Fidel Ramos urged President Arroyo to make up for her shortcomings in governing the nation in her remaining 10 months in office as the country “is worse now than before.”

Ramos also appealed to political leaders, especially those seeking the presidency, to be less concerned with their ambitions and help prevent the deterioration of the quality of life of Filipinos and the country’s image before the international community.

He said unlike leaders of other countries, Mrs. Arroyo is not only the head of government, but also the head of state and the commander-in-chief.

He said it would be better if the president and other leaders “would reform, perform and transform.”

“There’s something that happened since 2001 (when Mrs. Arroyo was installed into power) and you saw how much support we can generate for the president but since July 2005…things have changed in terms of overall goodwill and there are many question marks, so comparatively we are much worse now,” Ramos told a news conference in his office in Makati City.

He said the country now ranks 93rd in terms of the Human Development Index of the United Nations and is even below Fiji and Samoa.

He also noted the Arroyo administration has neglected to address the runaway population growth in the country.

Ramos said the Philippines has been subject of editorials of major newspapers, including the International Herald Tribune, on how it has failed to reap the fruits of people power.

“They (foreign media) are talking about wasted opportunities… especially during the last eight years,” he said.

“It’s not too late in the day to reform, perform and transform,” he said. “She is the one steering the country and she should set the example not only for her allies and political leaders but also for ordinary citizens.”

He said Mrs. Arroyo was being hobbled by the “Hello, Garci” scandal.

Ramos said since his retirement from the presidency in 1998, he has remained active in promoting the Philippines abroad at no expense to the government. After every foreign trip, he has submitted recommendations to Mrs. Arroyo and apparently they have all been ignored.

He said one thing the president could do is to convene the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council to enable the country’s leaders to work in a single direction.

He likened the country’s difficulties as serious problems confronting a family that should have a meeting of all members to resolve the situation.

Warning on Congress seat

Ramos also warned Mrs. Arroyo that having a seat in Congress would not give her immunity from possible lawsuits and investigations that may be lodged against her when she steps down from the presidency 10 months from now.

He suggested instead that Mrs. Arroyo “face the music” as he did in the past and be secure in her decisions and judgments that may be questioned or become the basis of any investigation against her.

He said he is giving the advice in the context of reports coming from her allies and relatives that she might opt to run for a congressional seat in the second district in her home province of Pampanga which, he said, she has yet to categorically deny or confirm.

The reports are fueled by her frequent visits to Pampanga.

Yesterday, she made her 24th visit to the province and inaugurated projects in her hometown of Lubao.

Ramos said he does “not see any advantage to be gained” by running and winning a seat in Congress.

“What is that immunity that she is running after? It is as if that immunity is very powerful.”

“The advice I can give at this time, if anyone is being fearful…is just to face the music,” he said.

He said he faced congressional investigations on various alleged irregularities and scams during his presidency shortly after he stepped down from office in 1998 and emerged unscathed and was vindicated.

He pointed out that no public official is totally immune from any wrongdoing, adding that presidents or prime ministers can still be brought down if they are non-performing or abusive.

He also recalled that he was the only former Chief Executive who appeared before investigations into the alleged anomalies in the Smokey Mountain project in 2006 to which the late former President Corazon Aquino and Estrada were invited.

“If you have done your best while in the position as president of the country and made your best judgment at that time, you can be prepared to defend yourself in any court of law or investigative body,” Ramos said.

He reiterated his call to Mrs. Arroyo to clearly bare her political plans, if any, in the coming months.

He pointed out that she has not categorically denied or confirmed that she is running for a congressional seat.   – Paolo Romero