Palace turns other cheek to opposition

It would be a waste of time and effort to respond to opposition attacks.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita made the statement in noting what he called "unfortunate" criticisms coming from former President Corazon Aquino even after the unprecedented joint statement by religious leaders calling for an end to political bickering and turmoil.

"We’ll be realistic. Just because Bro. Eraño Manalo (of the Iglesia ni Cristo) and Bro. Mike Velarde (of El Shaddai) appealed to end all these attacks, we can’t expect the opposition to change overnight," he said.

Ermita stressed Malacañang will just focus on its work "on governance and addressing the needs of our countrymen" and will not respond to opposition tirades.

Manalo and Velarde issued a rare joint statement last week appealing to administration and opposition leaders to "end the political bickering that has been going on for months" for the sake of the nation.

Manalo leads the Iglesia ni Cristo, which reportedly has 10 million members worldwide, while Velarde heads El Shaddai, a Catholic charismatic group that boasts about five million members nationwide.

After the joint statement, Mrs. Aquino, however, was quoted in reports as saying that she regretted supporting President Arroyo in the January 2001 EDSA II that ousted former President Joseph Estrada.

Ermita said Mrs. Aquino’s statements are "not conducive" to reconciliation and national unity being pushed by the religious leaders.

Ermita said Malacañang is seriously heeding the appeal by the two religious groups.

While there is no explicit order from the President to Cabinet officials to tone down political rhetoric in defending her and members of the official family, Ermita said the message is "clearly understood" that they have to heed the appeal.

For his part, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said it was unfortunate that Mrs. Arroyo’s critics did not listen to the call of the religious leaders for an end to political bickering.

"We shall not be drawn into counterproductive exchanges, rather, we will maintain our focus on our people’s welfare and advancement," he said.

Bunye said the President welcomed the call of INC and El Shaddai for an end to the political bickering and "together as a nation, work instead to alleviate the plight of our countrymen."

"The President, for her part, would work to improve the economy, bring back the trust of investors and create jobs and opportunities for our countrymen," he said.

If the political noise would be reduced, Bunye said the country can achieve its economic objectives faster. — Paolo Romero