Leaders and members of the ruling party Lakas-CMD are firmly behind a full term for the President, but it is best for this issue to be discussed within the comprehensive framework of Charter change.

If the report is true, let me state that to drag the President into what is purely internal matter between the ABS-CBN management and Vice President Noli de Castro is unfair and uncalled for.

All we are interested in is the observance by all media of the Media Code of Ethics, responsible and impartial reporting, and serving the national interest.

The President continues to take the brunt of negative surveys because of steep socioeconomic pressures on the lives of the poor, rooted on high oil prices and the lack of jobs. But these conditions are abating.

Oil prices are deescalating, the peso is much stronger and investments are on the rise. Payback time for the people is at hand. Near term relief is being accelerated by a massive pump priming program. But even if President Arroyo tries her level best to grow the economy and raise strong safety nets for the poor, she will always be pilloried by her detractors, whose only desire is raw, personal power.

BANILAD, MANDAUE CITY--- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today all the political grandstanding and allegations that she cheated in the 2004 elections will finally be laid to rest if the trend in the recount and examination of the ballots from Cebu being conducted by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) continues.

The PET is conducting a recount and examination of the ballots from Cebu in connection with the electoral protest lodged by losing vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda against Vice President Noli de Castro.

"If the trend of the results of revision of ballots in the protest versus Noli de Castro continues, my election lawyer Romy Makalintal is very optimistic that we could write finis to the 2004 poll controversy and all this political grandstanding on alleged poll cheating will die a natural death," the President said at the inauguration of the Don Vicente Gullas Medical Center here.

She said 771 ballot boxes from Mandaue City have been opened while the opening of 692 ballot boxes from Lapu-Lapu City was under way. In both cases, no evidence of any election irregularities involving the presidential candidates were found, she added.

"So he (Makalintal) is optimistic that the more than one million vote-lead I got from the entire province of Cebu and Cebu City, where the bulk of my lead came from, will be confirmed and the legitimacy of my proclamation is unassailable and should be respected," the President said.

In a statement last Monday, Makalintal, who is also the vice president’s election lawyer, said that the "actual recount of ballots of Legarda and de Castro from these two major cities (Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu) did not reveal any discrepancies when compared with the results reflected on the election returns, thereby disproving Legarda’s claim of massive electoral frauds in this province (Cebu)."

Makalintal added: "This is the same conclusion that could be derived from such findings insofar as the ballots for President Arroyo are concerned since the ballots and returns for Legarda and de Castro were the same ballots and returns used, counted and canvassed for the presidential election."

He said official records show that in the whole province of Cebu, the President garnered 965,630 votes as against Fernando Poe’s 123,000, or a difference of 842,531.

In Cebu City, the President obtained 220,060 while Poe garnered 58,591, a difference of 162,469, or a total vote lead for the President of 1,005,000 from the province of Cebu and Cebu City, Makalintal said.

The bulk of the President’s 1,123,576 overall vote lead over Poe came from Cebu province and Cebu City.

The President expressed anew her gratitude to the people of Cebu for their support throughout her political career.

"Thank you again, beloved people of Cebu," she said.

CEBU CITY--President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo witnessed the final settlement of a long-standing dispute between the Cebu Ports Authority (CPA) and the City of Cebu upon her arrival at the Mactan Benito Ebuen Air Base this morning.

The CPA finally paid its taxes for the last 10 years in the amount of P120 million to its host city.

CPA General Manager Mariano Martinez handed over the check to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena.

The President also witnessed the signing by the two parties of a compromise agreement that they would work out the dismissal of all cases filed against each other.

The CPA is a government-owned corporation.

The Center is PhilHealth-accredited and supported by funds from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

BANILAD, Mandaue City – Resigned to the fact that no matter what good she does for the people, especially the poor, will not stop the constant carping of her critics, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told her detractors today that they can do "their worse and we will just continue doing our best."

The President arrived in Cebu this morning to inaugurate the Gullas College of Medicine and Nursing of the Don Vicente Gullas Medical Center, and give her administration’s pro-poor programs on employment, health, education, food and infrastructure programs a personal boost.

Asked by a member of the local media about her reaction to the relentless attacks against her despite the headway the government is making to improve the economy, and implement urgent reforms, the President stressed that she will not be distracted by the negativism and nit-picking of her self-serving political detractors.

Also this morning, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said that despite negative survey results, the President "remains the best person to lead the country forward."

"This has been the reason behind her victory in the 2004 elections and the defeat of the series of unsuccessful attempts to unseat her," Bunye said.

The Palace official was reacting to the results of an opinion survey showing a negative rating for the President. Bunye said the Chief Executive continues to take the brunt of negative surveys because of the "steep socioeconomic pressures on the lives of the poor, rooted on high oil prices and the lack of jobs."

But he said "these conditions are abating."

He pointed out that the peso is much stronger now than two months ago, and investments in the country are going up. "Payback time for the people is at hand."

Bunye said that near term relief for the people, especially the poorest of the poor, is being accelerated through the administration’s pump priming program.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye branded today as unfair and uncalled for reports dragging President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo into what he described as a "purely internal matter" between media giant ABS-CBN and Vice President Noli de Castro.

Bunye, who is also the Presidential Spokesman, was reacting to a newspaper banner report saying that De Castro’s support of President Arroyo allegedly led to the sacking of the Vice President’s long-running show, "Magandang Gabi Bayan" at the network owned by the Lopezes.

"If the report is true, let me state that to drag the President into what is purely internal matter between the ABS-CBN management and Vice President Noli de Castro is unfair and uncalled for," he said.

The report quoted a network insider close to De Castro as saying that the owners of the broadcast giant pulled the weekly current affairs program off the air when it allegedly refused to be used against the administration.

The management of ABS-CBN had denied the allegations, saying the report is inaccurate in every way.

"Anything can be perceived as anything. It was an organizational move, not a political one. That is the reality. Everything else is a spin," said Maria Ressa, head of ABS-CBN’s news and current affairs.

"Magandang Gabi Bayan" had its last show last Dec. 31, ending a run of close to 18 years that made De Castro famous as "Kabayan" and helped launch his political career.

"The Vice President has been a champion of high standards of journalism and is recognized for such by the people," Bunye said.

Malacaņang confirmed today the meeting last night of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former President Fidel V. Ramos at the Macapagal Forbes Park residence in Makati City as part of preparations for the Lakas National Directorate meeting on Saturday (Jan. 14).

Also present at the meeting were House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio.

In a press briefing this afternoon at the New Executive Building (NEB), Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye and Claudio reported on what had transpired during the "Group 5."

"I am very sure you would want to hear straight from the horse’s mouth what happened last night. This afternoon, we will not show you one picture but a series of pictures of the Group of 5 which met last night," Bunye said.

"The meeting over dinner was convivial, warm and relaxed and befitting two statesmen who are true friends, partymates and driven by the same passion for making things right for the country," Claudio said.

The meeting started at around 7 p.m. and lasted past 10 p.m., he added.

According to him, the Group 5 meeting has paved the way for stronger unity and harmony among members of the ruling party contrary to claims of the opposition.

Claudio said the President, who is the titular head of the party, Ramos, Lakas chairman emeritus, and de Venecia, co-chairman of the party, have reached an agreement on the conduct of the party’s national directorate meeting.

"There is a common endorsement of a simple approach or arrangement for dealing with and settling controversial issues about the Charter Change within the Party. During the meeting, the national officials had occasion to discuss a wide range of issues regarding governance and the Lakas Party," Claudio said.

On party matters, discussions included the forthcoming global interfaith dialogue to be held in Manila as well as ways to strengthen the party, particularly the integration of former Lakas leaders.

Lakas is sponsoring the interfaith dialogue in collaboration with Christian Democrat International (CDI).

The Group 5 also discussed a wide range of issues, including the agenda and the format of the national directorate meeting, and how to address controversial issues such as the "no election" proposal and term extension of incumbent officials.

Claudio said that on the issue of governance, there was a jovial discussion on a broad range of subjects from the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), energy, tourism, aquaculture, infrastructure and the former president’s various trips abroad to promote investments in the country.

"The tone, substance and ambience of the dinner meeting were unmistakable reiteration of the two President’s support for each other," he added.

He said that last night’s meeting was arranged by him and Ermita when they met with the former president at the latter’s office last Dec. 27.

Claudio also corrected the report of a national daily that the President allegedly gave in to the former president’s demand to proceed with the elections in 2007 and cut short her term which ends in 2010.

He pointed out that Speaker de Venecia was very much involved in the Group of 5 meeting, contrary to the newspaper report that he was not invited to the meeting.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said today that leaders and members of the Lakas-CMD (Christian Muslim Democrats) firmly favor a full tenure until 2010 for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as she still remains the best person to lead the country towards economic recovery.

The Lakas national directorate, the highest policy making and coordinating body of the administration party Lakas-CMD, will hold a meeting on Saturday geared towards national unity and the people’s welfare, including the proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution.

"Leaders and members of the ruling party Lakas-CMD are firmly behind a full term for the President, but it is best for this issue to be discussed within the comprehensive framework of Charter change," Bunye said in a statement.

Bunye said the the prime issue in Charter change is not the term of the President and it is up to Congress if it wants to convene into a Constituent Assembly, or the local government authorities through a People’s Initiative, if it is finally decided to push through with the proposed amendments to the Constitution.

"We leave the final decision and mandate to Congress and to the people. We must stress that it is not the term of the President that is the prime issue in Charter change, but the future of the whole nation and the welfare of the people," Bunye said.

In another statement, Bunye said "the President continues to take the brunt of negative surveys because of steep socioeconomic pressures on the lives of the poor, rooted on high oil prices and the lack of jobs."

But he noted that "these conditions are abating" and the President remains focused on her governance to make the poor feel the economic gains already posted, including the administration’s food program to temporarily cushion the impact of economic hardships.

"Surveys notwithstanding, the President remains the best person to lead the country forward. This has been the reason behind her victory during the 2004 elections and the defeat of the series of unsuccessful attempts to unseat her," Bunye said.

He explained that since she assumed the presidency, the Chief Executive has always been the subject of negative surveys possibly commissioned by her political detractors in order to distract her from fulfilling her promise to uplift the lives of the marginalized sectors.

Bunye said that because of the steep economic reform measures initiated by the administration, the peso continues to become stronger and investment confidence from both local and foreign investors is rising.

He expressed optimism that "payback time for the people is at hand. Near term relief is being accelerated by a massive pump priming program."