 | MANILA – Former President Ramos, who defended President Gloria Arroyo at the height of the moves to oust her last year, recently told foreign businessmen that there is still a lingering political crisis that could erupt any time, and that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, though she may enjoy the support of generals in the military, does not have the trust of middle and lowerlevel officers.
|
Ramos’ statement drew responses from Malacanang and supporters of the President in the House of Representatives. Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye advised Ramos to be more circumspect in his statements, assuring him that the country’s newfound fiscal and political stability is for real. “We take strong exception to a reported statement of former President Ramos that we are in a state of ‘artificial stability.’ The economy has been on an extended bull run and has never been seriously affected by the political turmoil,” Bunye said.
Mrs. Arroyo’s timely proclamation of a state of national emergency put a halt to
“military adventurism and sealed cracks in the Armed Forces’ chain of command,” he added. Bunye pointed out that with political stability on track, President Arroyo is back on the road wooing investors and creating jobs.
“We are now stable, and the only thing artificial is the illusion of instability being foisted by the opposition,” he said.
“We respect the views of the former President, but we would appreciate more circumspection in his statements,” Bunye added. In his speech earlier, Ramos asked the President and her officials, on one hand, and the political opposition, on the other, to stop encouraging the military to intervene in resolving the political crisis. If the military intervenes, no one would know where such intervention would take the nation, said the former defense secretary and chiefof staff of the Armed Forces.
The Mail RSS Feed.
