President Arroyo said yesterday that the moniker "Iron Lady" bestowed on her by the Financial Times of London fits her to a tee.
A visibly amused Mrs. Arroyo said it was all right by her when the Financial Times dubbed her as "the Iron Lady of Asia" in its yearend feature on world leaders last Dec. 26.
"It will serve as a warning to those who want to bully a small woman," she reacted to teasing by former Economic Planning Secretary Solita Monsod, who co-anchored her year-end report to the nation.
The program was actually the first of a three-day series of her year-end report broadcast live from the Mansion House in Baguio City where the First Family was spending the holidays.
"Small but terrible," was Monsod’s own repartee when they got to discuss the "Iron Lady" tag.
In referring to Mrs. Arroyo in that manner, the Financial Times mentioned the Labor Day attack on Malacañang by loyalists of deposed President Joseph Estrada. The police and military pushed back the mob from the Palace gates during the day-long riots.
"The incident established the diminutive president’s reputation as the Iron Lady of Asia," the article read in part.
The Financial Times interview with Mrs. Arroyo was done while she was playing golf. The London daily described her as being "dressed in cargo pants, golf shirt and bullet-proof vest."
"I’m a brave person, but I’m not reckless," the article quoted her as saying.
In the program, Monsod for her part noted that the President was dressed in red and already wearing her golf shoes to indicate where she was headed afterwards.
Mrs. Arroyo said she and her husband Jose Miguel have been spending quality time together playing golf, away from the daily stress of the presidency.
She told Monsod she was dressed in red because of the happy occasion of the new year.
When quizzed by Monsod on her resolution to be less "mataray," she said: "First of all I will pray for graces, then I will count to 30" before blowing her top.
She revealed that she has developed a "special formula" to contain her temper when dealing with "intriguing questions" thrown at her by an ever inquisitive press.
"What I will do is to think first what would be the message that is connected to the question, which I want to express. So perhaps, I will just answer it with one sentence and then go to the message I want to express," she said. — Marichu Villanueva