Gloria Arroyo is used to having her way with the Malacañang Press Corps that she thinks she can impose the same control with all members of media, even the foreign media.
A week ago, Malacañang invited members of the Foreign Correspondents of the Philippines to an exclusive press conference in Malacañang on October 2, at 11 a.m. More than 50 Focap members signed on for the Arroyo’s first presscon in more than a year.
Last Monday, Press Undersecretary Martin Crisostomo notified Focap that it was “all systems go for the October 2 press briefing with PGMA.”
However, he set a condition: “The President will NOT entertain political questions, but will answer other questions, including those specifically pertaining to the economy and how the current US financial crisis is affecting the Philippines and other Asian countries.”
Yesterday, Focap notified Malacañang that they have “not agreed that the questions be limited to the economy.”
The foreign correspondents reminded Crisostomo of their previous discussion that they were “against the Palace screening any questions.”
They also reminded Malacañang that “the presscon conference is an initiative of the Palace, not Focap’s.” The underlying message is, you are not in a position to impose conditions because you need us more than we need you. So, it’s either you meet us and answer all our questions or not at all.
Malacañang cancelled the presscon.
Used to docile palace reporters, Malacañang officials, I imagine, are worried how their brat of a boss would handle not- easily- intimidated reporters. But such concern is unnecessary. In October 2002, a Focap member, Raissa Robles of South China Morning Post, asked Arroyo is she still had sex after she enumerated her priorities which were God, country, family. Arroyo was even giggling when she replied, “Plenty.”
Her husband, Mike Arroyo who was in the hospital at that time for a spinal injury treatment, showed he was even more game with such questions. When asked about his wife’s answer he burst into laughter and said, “We have sex three times a day”
The Malacañang Press Corps should take their cue from Focap and assert their right to be treated with respect.
In the first few years of the Arroyo administration when she was still holding press conferences, I was dismayed to observe that reporters were required to submit questions beforehand. Then the reporters waited to be called by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye or whoever was moderating the presscon. Nobody was allowed to ask unless called.
It was never like that in previous administrations. During the Ramos administrations, media coordinators would try to ask reporters what they were planning to ask to be able to prepare documents or reference materials that the President might need. But if you don’t want to submit questions before the press con, it didn’t prevent you from approaching the microphone and asking your question and Ramos never shirked from any question. He might snap at an irreverent or at an insistent reporter but no condition was ever imposed on reporters.
Estrada engaged in favoritism in dealing with reporters which backfired on him. But he never imposed conditions on questions to be asked in a presscon.
In that “teleprompter episode” last August, we saw Lupita Kashiwahara telling reporters that they would be allowed to be present when Arroyo read her statement on the Mindanao situation but they could not ask questions.
And the handlers got angry when Arroyo’s tantrums became the story. Served them right.
It’s not the first time that Arroyo imposed a condition for her appearance. In 2003, she agreed to be guest of the Manila Overseas Press Club on condition that she not be asked about her running in 2004. This was after she announced in December 2002, in front of Jose Rizal’s monument in Baguio City, that she would not run in 2004.
When the late Max Soliven, Philippine Star publisher, tried to ask a question related to 2004, she threatened to walk out. MOPC members turned into meek lambs and talked of inconsequential things.
Arroyo should be told that she can’t have it her silly way all the time.
Good job, Focap.
It’s about time Gloria is told firmly that she has no leverage to set up conditions with the press’s questions. It’s either she answers the more important questions or no press con at all.
Cheers, Focap!
What kind of Press Conference is it when Malacanang only wants questions it likes and doesn’t allow questions it doesn’t like? It reminds us of the Marcos regime. Then, journalists and reporters like Rod Navarro, Roniel Nathanielz, Gadi Baltazar, Dory Valencia were among the favorites of Malacanang. But even then, the media was not as restricted as it is now. The best thing to do is for all the media to boycott Malacanang. As the 2010 election approaches, Malacanang certainly needs the media much more than vice versa.
The irrelevancy of Gloria, ang sakit ng tadyak ng Focap, hahaha!
Now, who’s still afraid of the impakta?!
Ilagay sa tamang lugar si Gloria…sa basura!
Oy, baka mag-tantrum na naman si loony Glue!
Correction: Doroy (not Dory) Valencia. The late Doroy was a true blooded Imelda loyalist. However, we have to congratulate him for making Luneta Park to what it is today. During Marcos time, the pro-Marcos media was well taken care by Imelda. Today, we have the same kind of people running the media. Do you know that even The Daily Tribune is for sale today? There’s a rumor or report tha the paper was subsidized by Erap; then that burden must have been transferred to Villar by now.
Tantrums are manifestations that she’s livin’ in Hell all these years.
And contemplating what could happen to her in 2010 (or a little after that, if they do their thing once again), is more than a torture. I wonder… when was the last time this Lonely Midget had a good night sleep?
Baka nag-tsongki pa nga ‘tong animal na ‘to.
Congratulations to FOCAP. That’s the way to do it, Guys & Gals!!!
Kung mayaman lang ako ggawa ako ng isang malaking party para sa mga pppunta sa press con ni ate glow:) Para wala ng pumunta sa kanya.
Tama ka bitchevil at mas kailangan ng nasa pwesto ang press. saludo ako sa sinabi mo. Kaya ellen wag na kayo pumunta at wala naman kwenta ang mga sasabihin nila.:)
“The President will NOT entertain political questions, but will answer other questions, including those specifically pertaining to the economy and how the current US financial crisis is affecting the Philippines and other Asian countries.”
Antipatica ! I wouldn’t want to know Gloria’s views regarding the current financial meltdown in the U.S. ?! Would the world actually listen to comments from a leader of a corrupt government ? What a joke !
“The President will NOT entertain political questions, but will answer other questions, including those specifically pertaining to the economy and how the current US financial crisis is affecting the Philippines and other Asian countries.”
Antipatica ! I wouldn’t want to know Gloria’s views regarding the current financial meltdown in the U.S. ?! Would the world actually listen to comments from a leader of a corrupt government ? What a joke !
Re: “The President will NOT entertain political questions, but will answer other questions, including those specifically pertaining to the economy
Malacanang Palace wants to impose ‘censorship’ in aborted Focap press conference. Gloria Arroyo is allergic to the true state of the nation. Why only in economy? Are we better off today compared eight years ago? She has no credibility to speak about U.S. financial meltdown. Ramdan na ramdam ang kahirapan ngayon sa boung bansa at hindi fastasiang kaunlaran ni Gloria.
Chabs,
Pakialamera nga e. Pati economy ng Amerika ay gustong pagreynahan. She wanted to make yabang to Focap, rejected ang walanghiya, haha!
What does she know about the US financial meltdown except that the Pidal ill gotten $$$$ went down the drain with Morgan Stanley.
Ang yabang ng ‘antipatica’ impakta! Hindi nakalusot…aray!
Naku sayang! It was in one of those FOCAP interviews that Gloria was asked about her sex life and she gleefully answered “I have sex three time daily, morning noon and dessert … “
Questions and Answers:
Reporter to Bro. Mike Velarde: Are you going to run for President in 2010?
Answer: Why, is there anything wrong if I run?
Reporter to Bro. Eddie Villanueva: Are you going to run again in 2010?
Answer: I’m just a Servant of God. Whatever He wants me to do, I will.
The above questions and answers were exactly quoted in ambush interviews.
Kejotee,ikaw ha, you amplified GMA’s answer about having “plenty” of sex.
Just so we can have an accurate background of the Oct. 2002 Focap presscon where Arroyo was asked by Raissa Robles of South China Morning Post, “Do you still have sex?’ Gloria Arroyo replied giggling, “Plenty”.
In his hospital bed a few days after, Mike Arroyo was asked about his wife’s reply and he roared with laughter,”We have sex three times a day.”
O, kaya pala na-heart attack si Mike at ang Pinas is going to the dogs, if it is not yet. Hindi na natutulog at nakakatrabaho si Gloria, puro sex na lang. No wonder her brain cells are all dead.
Ubos na pala ni Gloria ang kanyang lakas araw-araw. Ano na lang ang panahon ni Mike kay Toh? hehehe!
“We have sex three times a day”.
Caveat: Not necessarily with each other.
Tongue,
Not with the same cow, of course.
BTW,havent heard anything interesting yet from the guy who regards the fourth state here as coin operated.
I think the most media reporters covering gloria and malacanang are prime examples of what Mr. Macasaet of Malaya terms as “..cowardice of the Filipio to fight evil”. Confronted with a bitchy behavior by gloria such as that of the MOPC they turn tail and become meek and timid. Opting to engage in inconsequential matters when with gloria. I don’t know, but maybe, a lot of media people have their “bread and butter” with malacanang. Like the local media, most of them are in the pockets of local politicians. Those that are independent and fiercely inquisitive usually are either hard up in making a living or their media outfit hangs by a thread to survive. Since FOCAP does not depend on the graces of gloria, it can honestly tell her to bug off. Unlike most local media, they have to toe the palace line to get their graces.
Val,
Nanggulo ng husto dun sa blog ni Cocoy. Ayun, ban na rin.
Baka yung three times a day is sex on the beach:
“sex on the beach”
1 oz vodka
1 oz peach schnapps
3 oz cranberry juice
3 oz pineapple juice
Matapos yan, sundan ng “screaming orgasm”
1 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz Bailey’s Irish cream
1/2 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur
Yung sinasabi ni Tongue, yun ang tinatawag na Coolidge Effect, after President Calvin Coolidge.
Bumisita daw sila sa poultry, at kokonti ang mga rooster. Tanong ni Mrs. Coolidge, how do you produce so many eggs? Sabi ng farmer, the roosters do their duties dozens of times a day. Sabi ni Mrs. Coolidge (mukhang kulang) “Go tell the President”.
Tanong ni Coolidge, does the rooster do it with the same hen? Sagot, no Sir. Sabi ng presidente, “Tell Mrs. Coolidge”.
I think FOCAP missed a very big opportunity of asking Gloria about the ECONOMY…..
Since Gloria wants to be asked more about the ECONOMY then….if I were one of the members of FOCAP, I would have asked these questions, and more…..
1. What ECONOMIC benefits did the Filipino people derive from the “Hello Garci” scandal?
2. Does the Joc-Joc Bolante Fertilizer scam have anything to do with the rice shortage that plunged the country into dire ECONOMIC straits?
3. Does EO 464 and the invocation of executive privilege on questions regarding corruption and shady ECONOMIC deals increase investor confidence?
4. How will travel junkets by a party of more or less 70, paid for by taxpayers, be ECONOMICALLY beneficial to the country? And how would it not drain the coffers more?
5. Madam President?, we agree that peace ushers in ECONOMIC progress. What were the effects of this treasonous deal with the MILF under the MOA-AD which, by the way, you profess to have not read, on the ECONOMY?
6. We are not ECONOMISTS Madam President?, but we are baffled by how the Law of Supply and Demand does not apply to you. It appears that the more you supply the nation with corruption, the more there is a demand for you to resign. Shouldn’t it be inversely proportional? How do you explain that?
sulbatz,
mabuti naman at “ECONOMY” ang punterya mo, hindi seks. kasi sayang lang ang diskusyon kung seks lang ang pag-uusapan. buong mundo ay maaaring maapektuhan ng kaguluhan ng ekonomiya ng amerika. makabuluhan at mabibigat ang mga tanong mo.
Ang galing mo, Sulbatz. Mahiram nga yung mga questions na yan. Balita ko, malacañang will re-schedule the presscon.
So okay lang na Economy ang pag-usapan.
agree with sulbatz. it is practically difficult to remove politics when talking about economics specially social economics.
Sulbatz, smart questions ! Good one !
Okay, let’s talk about the economy.
1. Were there any investments by the GSIS and SSS in the US markets? If any, how much each?
2. What is the projected economic benefit of the mining deal of Mike Defensor? How much government revenue will it create? How many jobs will it create, here and in China? Were there any other corporate suitors? What, if any, is the advantage of China over the other suitors?
3. Which foreign explorers are prospecting in Palawan and other uncontested Philippine territory? Were there any other suitors? What did the cost-benefit analysis reveal, that prompted the choice of one over the other? What is the economic benefit of not bidding out the exploration?
4. What is the economic benefit of not bidding out the NBN contract? What are the specific project costs, that yield the 329 million dollars? We want specific project costs, a la project costs submitted to the DPWH, not just paper napkin calculations.
Can we be given a copy of the economic analysis of the NEDA?
5. What is the economic benefit of keeping the NEDA analysis secret, and not letting it be subjected to analysis by say, the academe (UP, CRC, etc.) or even the business sector?
6. What would be the economic benefit of keeping you at the helm, compared to letting other people rule. We need to know, so we can ask our Congressmen to support or disapprove cha-cha.
Damnnnn Atty36272….you are good!!! I salute you.
Maybe some of our readers could propound more questions about the ECONOMY to help the FOCAP members. Let’s give Gloria what she wants.
Sa tindi ng mga questions ninyo ay magwo-walkout si Gloria sa sarili niyang presscon.
Magwo-walkout si Gloria o hindi na makakalabas ng EK ang FOCAP members pag ganyan katindi ang mga tanong.
More questions about the ECONOMY to Gloria…..
1. Under what specific ECONOMIC fundamental that you established, were you able to reduce the eating habits of the Filipinos from three times a day to three times a week?
2. Madam “President” we believe, as you do, that population has a direct effect on the ECONOMY. We are very much aware of your skills in “population management”. How would a paradigm shift to Reproductive Health as against Extra-Judicial killings effect a drastic control of our wayward population?
3. Follow-up question Madam “President”……Which do you think is more ECONOMICALLY viable, the Reproductive Health Bill or Extra-Judicial killings? We ask this question Madam “President” because you appear to be adamant in defending Extra-Judicial killings as against actively proposing for the enactment of the RH bill.
4. Madam “President”, you pride yourself to be a mother and a home-maker other than being an ECONOMIC expert. We read somewhere before that to simplify ECONOMIC management, you start from the HOME. That’s the reason why HOME ECONOMICS was then a critical subject before. How then, would you explain the Commission on Audit report that the Palace could not even balance its books. Do you think this is indicative of our national ECONOMIC situation?
I have low regard for economists, really. Here are the reasons:
1. If you ask him/her How’s your spouse?” The answer would probably be: “Relative to what?”
2. Out of the five economic recessions, economists were able to successfully predict 9.
3. An economist can change lightbulbs without screwing them in; they just hold it up because the world revolves around them.
4. If you asked an economist for her phone number, she might just give you an estimate.
5. I doubt Gloria’s capability as an economist, remember, she graduated from high school in Assumption?
6. People should hate economists, they make money explaining to people why they are poor.
7. God created economists like Gloria to make weather-forecasters more credible.
8. As a postulate to Sulbatz’ extra-judicial killing query, I think the economic stat fabrication of Gloria has gotten mixed up in anti-rebel intelligence work. The priciple being, “if you torture them long enough they’ll say anything”.
9. Do you know that Mick Jagger and Arnold Schwarzenegger both studied Economics? They were successful by not practicing.
10. The last but definitely not the least reason, let me tell you a short story.
There were two economists named Gloria Arroyo and Joey Salceda walking down the street in a barrio. They find some carabao shit Gloria told Joey, “If you eat that, I will give you P50M.” Joey picked it up and ate it. Walking further they saw another mound of carabao dung it was Joey’s turn to say, “If YOU eat that, I will give you P50M” Gloria then picked it up and ate it.
They continued walking and after some time Joey said, “We both ate it, but we are not richer by any amount, we have exactly the same money as before.”
To which Gloria replied, “I know. But we have just increased GDP by P100M”.
-End of Story-
Now you know why the GDP thing may be nothing but crap.
Ellen, Hindi ako naniniwala na 3 x a day nakakapag-sex pa si FG….kasi ang tingin ko sa kanya (FG)…”MUKHA NA LANG NIYA ANG NANINIGAS ”!!!!!!
Someone in this blog said Imelda Marcos announced the candidacy of Bongbong for President. Better someone stop it right there. Another holocaust for the Philippines. The Marcoses has not even finish spending their money and they want some more?
dandaw,
huwag kang mabahala. kasi ayun sa mga ‘paham’, ang mga marcoses ay yumaman dahil sa ‘mining’ business.