Manifestation of support to her excellency president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and expressing conviction of trust and confidence in her capacity as President of the Republic of the Philippines

from : West Leyte Weekly Express

WHEREAS, the present government of the Philippines is once again besieged with political turmoil that threatens to paralyze the economy which is now experiencing a remarkable improvement;

WHEREAS, the ongoing political noise in Manila is not reflective of the true sentiment of the majority of Filipinos in the countryside who are engrossed at improving their living conditions;

WHEREAS, the volatile situation endangers the momentum of the growing economy which is painstakingly built brick by brick through the untiring efforts of President Arroyo;

Now, therefore, we the people of the City of Ormoc, Leyte, Philippines, headed by the local government unit, manifest our support to Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the following grounds:
1. Since the assumption into office of President Arroyo, the country's economic figures have steadily and consistently increased while its fundamentals have been strengthened. Her sincerity in steering the economy to safer shores is evidenced by the bold and tough decisions and policies she made, even sacrificing her own popularity.

The sterling performance of President Arroyo was highlighted by the remarkable 7.3% GDP growth in 2007. This is the highest economic growth attained by the country in 20 years, the effect of which are evidently felt in the countryside through increased business opportunities and productivity.
2. Under President Arroyo, revenues from tax collection experienced a phenomenal growth, enabling the government to balance its budget and launch a massive infrastructure drive using local sources instead of foreign loans.

The strides made under the able leadership of President Arroyo are not lost to the international community which hails the Philippines as the next emerging tiger economy in Asia.
3. It was only under President Arroyo that the Philippine peso is declared as the best performing currency in Asia, After decades of struggling with devaluation which puts pressure on inflation. The strong currency has cushioned the negative impact of rising oil prices in the world market.
4. The insurgency problem has been effectively contained with the arrest and neutralization of top ranking leaders of NPA, Abu Sayyaf and MILF. Another indication of the country's improving security is the continued influx of foreign tourists which contributes to the country's dollar reserves.
5. The improving peace and order condition extends to the eradication of kidnap-for-ransom syndicates and the curbing of the drug menace nationwide.

Because of these developments, we the people of Ormoc City, further declare that:
1. We call on our Filipino brothers and sisters to observe sobriety and practice discernment to enable us to properly distinguish if our actions will result to our betterment or our undoing;
2. We are against mass actions that disrupt the momentum attained by government in the economic, security and developmental fronts;
3. It was only under President Arroyo's directive to investigate allegations of corruption and to prosecute the personalities involved in these scandals. In the same manner, we favor bringing these issues to the proper forum where evidence is paramount over innuendoes, insinuations, hearsay and immature name-calls.
4. Finally, we do not support calls for a change of national leadership until 2010.

We Ormocanons would also want to know the truth; but we would rather search it without shooting ourselves on the foot. The truth that we are seeking is one that is not muddled by politics and self-serving interests, but one that is absolute which can only be found in the proper institutions and procedure. Until then, we continue to stand solidly behind Her Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.