GMA trip to Europe still on

President Arroyo will push through with her trip to Spain and London in spite of the latest attempt to oust her from office, Malacañang said yesterday.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a press conference that she would push through with her scheduled departure tomorrow with France as the first stop of her eight-day trip to Europe.

National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said despite mopping up operations by authorities, the capital is returning to normalcy and stability.

“We have surmounted a serious situation. I don’t think we should allow this distraction to stop work that is vital for international relations,” Gonzales said.

Her trip to Spain was for a state visit while she is scheduled to meet the Queen in London.

Mrs. Arroyo is scheduled to make a private visit to Lourdes, France on Sunday where she is expected to attend a Mass at the Chapele de la Reconciliation in the morning and have lunch with the local clergy.

She is expected to leave Lourdes after lunch for Madrid, to arrive at around 4 p.m. In the evening she would be meeting with the Filipino community.

On Monday, she is scheduled to visit the Spanish Senate at noon. From there, Mrs. Arroyo would have a private lunch with King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia.

On Tuesday, Mrs. Arroyo is scheduled to meet with other Spanish officials as well as potential investors. By evening, she will have a meeting with Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero.

The next day, she will proceed to the Basque province and meet with the Basque government.

She will leave on Wednesday night for London where is expected to arrive at around 7 p.m.

On Thursday, she is scheduled to have a breakfast meeting with some business leaders to be followed by a set of interviews with journalists.                                     – Paolo Romero