‘It’s politics as usual’

President Arroyo’s declaration of a state of national emergency actually saved Filipinos from a sequel of military or authoritarian rule had the coup plotters succeeded in ousting her last Friday, Bataan Gov. Enrique Garcia said yesterday.

Garcia said nothing has changed on the political scene days after the President issued Proclamation 1017 that quelled the anti-government conspiracy before it could blossom into a full-blown coup.

"It’s politics as usual," he said, referring to the attacks which the Arroyo administration has received from the political opposition which accused the President of imposing de facto martial law with Proclamation 1017.

"The President actually made a very hard decision only after evaluating carefully the intelligence reports gathered after events in the previous 24 hours confirmed the sinister coup plot masquerading as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of EDSA 1986," he said.

Lawyer Carlo Fortuna, national president of the Philippine Councilors League, shared Garcia’s view, saying that the "politics as usual" posture of the opposition has clouded the real issue in its bid to score political "pogi" points at the expense of the President and the country as well. — Cecille Suerte Felipe