GMA joins relief efforts

MANILA, Philippines - Ignoring her doctor’s advice to rest, former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo distributed relief goods in her hometown of Lubao yesterday.

“It hurts me more to see my cabalens in this predicament much, much more than the pains I’m experiencing right now,” Arroyo said in one of her posts in her Facebook account yesterday.

“The devastation caused by the rains sends a strong warning for humanity that we are very vulnerable to nature’s wrath and its destructive elements,” was Arroyo’s other Facebook status.

“I enjoin our beloved kapampangans to show strength and unity in confronting these challenges before us,” read another of her posts.

Arroyo said “there is nothing more potent than the faith in God and faith in our attributes to withstand misfortunes such as this.”

“Let us be strong. Let us fight. Wounds will always heal, anxieties will always cease, and sadness will eventually be replaced with glee,” she said.

Arroyo urged her province mates not to””cry but come up with solutions and actions to stand up once again.”

“Let us hold our hands together, thank the Almighty for sparing our lives and let’s get to work. I love you all,” she said.

After posting bail on election fraud charges last July 27, Arroyo visited her constituents in Porac town, where she declared her plans for reelection.

Arroyo has a house near the San Nicolas church in Lubao, where she is a registered voter.

Edith Gerona, one of Arroyo’s Facebook friends commented: “Once again, Madame President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, you made me see the vast difference between you and the other presidents of our country in terms of leadership and love of our country and people. I really miss you and love you more than ever as my leader and my president. I will always admire you. May God always protect you and give you health and long life.”

Her follower Jerry Ocampo shared a link blaming the Aquino administration for the floods that battered Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon.

The link cited a news report, which came out last July quoting Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson as saying that the government cancelled 19 approved negotiated projects worth P934.1 million, which are part of the 139 projects or 42 contract packages funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the urgent rehabilitation of flood control facilities.

The cancelled projects are in areas flooded by recent typhoons.

“One cannot help but think that if these projects were not capriciously cancelled on the sole fact that they were initiated by the previous administration, then the recent flooding could have been prevented or mitigated,” a message on the link said.