Estrada's Caravan for Peace shelved

President Estrada's planned Caravan for Peace has been postponed indefinitely.

Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora revealed this yesterday as he said that the activity, billed as "Government on Wheels: Caravan for Peace and Unity," has been deferred until the peace and order situation in Mindanao has stabilized.

"We have postponed it indefinitely," Zamora said. "We want to see first an improvement in the Mindanao situation before proceeding with our plans."

Assistant Press Secretary Mike Toledo earlier announced that the caravan would have its first phase on May 10, 13 and 14 in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

The second phase, on the other hand, has been initially scheduled for May 22, 26 and 27 in Bicol, in the Visayas and in Mindanao.

Toledo said the caravan was originally scheduled to kick off last May 2.

"Cabinet members recommended that it be postponed after they consulted with concerned local government units," he said.

The proposed itinerary for the caravan which the President himself would lead has likewise been changed. It will now go to Laoag, Tugegarao, Baguio, Muñoz (Nueva Ecija), Naga, Tiaong (Quezon), Matnog (Sorsogon), San Isidro (Northern Samar), Catbalogan, Liloan (Southern Leyte), Surigao City and Davao.

Toledo said all Cabinet members have been asked to participate in the caravan while the President would be flying in and out of the places in the itinerary to join the entourage.

"The caravan will use air, sea and land transportation to take the government closer to the people," he said.

The assistant press chief noted, though, that the caravan should not be viewed as a propaganda tool of the administration.

"This is just a fulfillment of the promise of the President that he would bring Malacañang closer to the people," he stressed.