October 20, 2009, 5:26pm
President Arroyo can run for an electoral post next year and doesn’t even have to campaign due to overwhelming public support for her in Pampanga, Malacañang said Wednesday.Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo however said President Arroyo has not yet divulged her political plans for 2010 when her term as president ends as she is concentrated on her job for the remainder of her term.
“There is no legal impediment for the President to run for any office just like any private citizen if she is no longer the President,” Fajardo said in a news conference in the Palace.
“But this is not the right time to talk about politics. The President remains focused on delivering social services to our people as of now,” she added.
Fajardo said the President, who has been visiting Pampanga frequently during the past few months, knows the appropriate time to reveal her plans after she steps down in office June 2010.
“For now, we haven’t discussed her plans,” she added.
Fajardo made the remarks after critics continued to score Mrs. Arroyo’s alleged plan to run in Pampanga’s 2nd congressional district, citing her frequent visits to her home province.
The President has neither directly confirmed nor denied her alleged plan to run for Congress next year. The constitution bans any president from seeking reelection.
Fajardo insisted that the President’s regular trips to Pampanga should not be misconstrued as premature campaigning.
Without necessarily neglecting other provinces, she explained that the President merely wants to leave a legacy in Pampanga by ensuring adequate social services and infrastructure in her home province.
“It’s her home province and that’s what makes it special,” she said.
In case the President decides to run in the 2nd district of Pampanga, Fajardo said the public’s warm reception to the President was a “good enough indication” of her chances.
“I don’t think that she needs to campaign even if she is planning to run. I cannot relate her political plans with her frequent visits to Pampanga. When we visit Pampanga, the President receives a warm reception from her town mates even though they always see her,” she said.
The President also regularly checks on the welfare and needs of people in other places across the country, according to Fajardo. She said Mrs. Arroyo has even created the super regions to enhance the competitive advantages of each region to spur economic growth.
Source: http://mb.com.ph/articles/225634/palace-says-mrs-arroyo-eligible-run-next-year
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