GMA thanks supporters via Facebook

LUBAO, Philippines  â€“ Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo thanked her constituents via Facebook for her landslide re-election as representative of the second district of Pampanga.

In a message posted on her Facebook account at 9:35 p.m. Thursday, Arroyo vowed to push more legislation to benefit her constituents.

“You always serve as an inspiration to me so that I may be able to accomplish more as your representative and I assure you of priority legislations that will redound to your progress and wellbeing,” Arroyo wrote in Kapampangan.

“With God’s blessings, I want to extend my heartfelt and humble acceptance of the faith, trust and moral strength extended me by my cabalens to enable me to serve another term,” she said.

“This is the main reason that drives me to go on every day despite the trials I face. This is a proclamation that honors the nonpareil love of my late father Dadong (the late Pres. Diosdado Macapagal) for our cabalens, whom he had served well in his life,” she added.

As of noon yesterday, her post had garnered about 400 “likes” and over 50 comments, mostly from Kapampangans congratulating her, wishing her good health, and thanking her for her projects in their localities.

The former leader was not able to campaign for her re-election bid and cast her vote in Monday’s polls as she remained under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) for election fraud charges.

She posted her message on her Facebook account from the VMMC after the provincial board of canvassers proclaimed her as winner at the Benigno Aquino Hall in Capitol compound at 9:30 p.m. Thursday. No member of her family was present and only her lawyer Paul Magalang represented her.

During Arroyo’s presidency, Pampanga was dubbed as “GMA country” as she hailed from Lubao. She was also known to have poured huge amounts of government funds for various projects in the province during her term.

The result of the mayoral races in Pampanga seems to indicate that Pampanga has remained GMA country.

Of 19 towns and three cities in Pampanga, 12 mayoral candidates from local party Kapanalig at Kambilan Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan) won.

Kambilan is associated with Arroyo and is headed by her close friend, Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda, who won by a landslide over rival Eddie Panlilio of the administration’s Liberal Party (LP).

Only four from LP made it in the mayoral race. Two were from the Nationalist People’s Coalition, two were independents, one from the Nacionalista Party, and another from the local party Partido Abe Kapampangan.

Pineda was also re-elected and her son, Dennis Pineda, was elected vice governor. They were proclaimed last Thursday.

– With Ric Sapnu