So said President Arroyo here Friday when she attended the birthday celebration of former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson.
In the presence of top officials led by House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Mrs. Arroyo announced that she has ordered the National Development Co. (NDC) to include Singson’s proposed Ilocos-Banaue road project in the Ilocos master plan that the agency is drawing up.
As envisioned, the proposed road network will traverse most of the hardly connected upland towns of Ilocos Sur, starting from this municipality, finding its way through the Mt. Province and ending up in Banaue.
Other guests of Singson who turned 61 years old were Ilocos Norte Gov. Bongbong Marcos and his sister, Rep. Imee Marcos; Rep. Roque Ablan, La Union Gov. Victor Ortega and his wife, San Fernando City Mayor Maryjane Ortega, Land Bank of the Philippines president Gary Teves, Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor and Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza.
Ilocos Sur Reps. Salacnib Baterina and Eric Singson, National Tobacco Administration chief Carlitos Encarnacion and Ilocos Sur officials led by Gov. Deogracias Victor Savellano also joined the celebration in a jampacked auditorium here.
Although no longer a public official, it was evident that Singson is still lionized by his provincemates who came in droves here despite the remote location.
The President showed that Singson’s influence on her has not waned. She acknowledged him in her speech as the "hero" of EDSA 2, which she also did when she addressed the Ilocos Sur National High School’s foundation anniversary program a few months ago.
As "birthday gift" to the former governor, Mrs. Arroyo announced the revival of the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle Commission which she earlier had abolished along with 37 other special agencies as cost-saving measure.
The President admitted that Singson felt bad when the commission was scrapped.
"Maraming sakripisyo si Chavit gaya ng sa impeachment trial at sa susunod ay ang pagtestigo niya sa Sandiganbayan sa plunder case ni Erap Estrada, kaya di natin dapat balewalain yon (Chavit has sacrificed a lot like in the impeachment trial and next, in his testimony in the Sandiganbayan in the plunder case against Erap Estrada. We should not take these things lightly)," she said.
Mrs. Arroyo’s accolades did not stop there. She acknowledged that Singson was a "private negotiator" during the Abu Sayyaf crisis.
"It is timely that during his birthday, the Abu Sayyaf problem has ended," she said, after announcing that soldiers had killed Abu Sabaya and three others during an encounter with the extremist group in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte.
The proposed Ilocos Sur-Banaue road project is envisioned to enhance tourism and trade in the North.
Meanwhile, Singson said Mrs. Arroyo’s attendance in his birthday celebration had no ulterior motive.
"I don’t see anything wrong about the President greeting me on my birthday. She is a family friend, indeed, despite the odds...People opposing her administration are the only ones who put meaning to it," he said.
He said Mrs. Arroyo is a "very objective" person who "does not affect his decisions" despite their long-time friendship.