GMA resorts to Facebook to reach out to constituents

LUBAO, Pampanga, Philippines  – Former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has resorted to the social networking site Facebook to reach out to her constituents in the province’s second district amid plans to seek re-election next year.

The Facebook account surfaced about a month ago and invited her provincemates, including media, as Facebook friends.

As of yesterday, the account had 831 friends and 104 public subscribers.

The STAR called at 11:30 a.m. yesterday the telephone number listed in the account that belonged to Arroyo’s office here, but nobody answered.

When news broke out last Thursday that Arroyo would visit Pampanga the following day, the Facebook account responded to The STAR’s query on the exact location of her visit last Friday – Barangay Babo Sacan in Porac town.

During last Friday’s visit to Porac, Arroyo’s spokesperson Elena Bautista-Horn confirmed the former president’s plan to seek reelection in Pampanga’s second district.

Amid rains throughout the province yesterday, the Facebook account quoted Horn as saying: “Former president Arroyo is on a 24-hour alert monitoring developments in the second district of Pampanga, including nearby towns regarding possible effects brought about by tropical storm ‘Gener.’

“She is recommending to the town mayors to mobilize resources and put in place rescue and relief operations to help her cabalen (provincemates) overcome the dangers that might arise. She is asking to receive hourly reports directly from the mayors. Evacuation centers have already been identified for possible evacuation,” the statement also said.

The bulletin elicited positive reactions from Arroyo’s supporters.

Tessie Calixto Arriola said: “That’s my leader. Always alert and helpful.”

The Facebook account, however, was apparently prepared by her staff a month ago when the account started to invite local friends, as the police had barred Arroyo from using cell phones and the Internet during her detention at the Veterans’ Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City until she was allowed to post bail Wednesday last week.

The account initially featured a photo of Arroyo during her project inspections in Pampanga before her detention.

Yesterday, the main page featured the former president, still with a neck brace, waving to the crowd from the window of her coaster after she posted bail. Many other photos showed her posing with her provincemates during her term as president and congresswoman.

Pampanga Mayors League (PML) secretary-general and Floridablanca mayor Eduardo Guerrero said Arroyo “should seek her second term in office in next year’s elections.”

Guerrero said that Arroyo’s constituents are “clamoring for her continued service as representative of the second district comprising the towns of Floridablanca, Porac, Lubao, Sta. Rita, Guagua and Sasmuan.

“It is the people who want her to run for a second term so that she could continue her family’s legacy of public service. We hope that she would overcome these trials in terms of her health. We are behind her and praying for her,” Guerrero said.

He said that as a legislator the former president “has always been in the forefront of delivering the services to her cabalen in her district.”

“Despite her absence she continues to deliver the much needed services to the people thru her son and staff,” Guerrero added. Guerrero said Arroyo “has the wisdom and capability of a true leader.”

“She could be assured that we will always support her in bringing much needed services to the people of the 2nd district,” he added.

This, even as two groups whose plunder charges against Arroyo have remained pending before the Ombudsman since 2010 have appealed to Kapampangans to “frustrate” her plans to seek reelection in the second district of this province.

The fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) and its staunch ally Anakpawis party-list said “the rejection of Arroyo’s fresh bid for a second term next year is a tall order, but it is a historic opportunity for the people of Pampanga to uphold truth, justice and accountability.”

Pamalakaya vice chairman Salvador France and Anakpawis party-list vice chairman Fernando Hicap said, “We are confident our countrymen in Pampanga will rise (to) the occasion and score a giant kill against the sinister agenda of the Arroyo camp to repeatedly exploit Congress as a political sanctuary,” they said in a joint statement. Pamalakaya and Anakpawis asserted that Malacañang gave the blessing for Arroyo’s political plans.

“Arroyo’s re-election bid has the seal of approval of Malacañang. Of course, President Aquino will deny this, but action speaks louder than words. The granting of P1-million bail to GMA due to weak electoral sabotage case is a goodwill measure towards bigger political accommodation of the Arroyo camp,” the groups’ statement said.

Pamalakaya and Anakpawis had urged the First Division of the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court to issue a warrant of arrest against Arroyo.

“The Sandiganbayan should immediately issue an arrest warrant based on the plunder case filed against her on the alleged misuse of funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office,” they said.

In January 2010, Pamalakaya and Anakpawis filed a plunder case against Arroyo in connection with P455 million allegedly overpriced ice-making machine purchased during her administration.

Again on Dec. 7, 2011, Pamalakaya and Anakpawis urged the Ombudsman to investigate the plunder case not only against Arroyo but also other officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) and the DA’s Bids and Awards Committee on the ice-making machine case.