GMA holds key in solving tape crisis — Golez

By Cecille Suerte Felipe
The Philippine Star 06/27/2005

President Arroyo holds the key to solving the "Gloriagate" crisis, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez said yesterday.

"For the sake of the country, the President must speak now and tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth on the audio tapes before it is too late," he said.

He said because of the "Gloriagate" recordings scandal, the President’s credibility has been plunging fast "in all sectors of society, including business, civil, religious, academe, and the military."

"I am afraid if the plunge is not arrested — and the only way to do that is telling the truth — she would not be able to govern. The President should ignore the advice of those who want her to stonewall or even cover up," he added.

"I feel sad about the President because now, her public personae is associated with ‘Hello, Garci!’," he stressed.

Golez, who served as Mrs. Arroyo’s national security adviser for three years, was referring to the cellular phone ring tone popularized by administration critics.

More than a million mobile phone subscribers now reportedly have the ring tone on their units.

Golez said the reputations of various government institutions are being destroyed due to the President’s decision to remain silent on the "Gloriagate" recordings.

"I pity people like (Press) Secretary (Ignacio) Bunye and (National Bureau of Investigation) Director (Reynaldo) Wycoco who have been entangled in Malacañang’s refusal to tell the truth and have been forced to testify ridiculous things like saying that they can’t recognize the President’s voice, and in the process ruin their public image," he said.

In a related development, Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez said the President’s critics are afflicted with "presidentialitis."

"They all want her seat. After losing to her in an election, fair and square, they now want to cut short her term through illegal means," he said.

His Palawan colleague Abraham Mitra, for his part, asked the opposition to test their planned tax boycott in Makati and San Juan, whose mayors are critics of Mrs. Arroyo.

"To find out if it’s good or bad, let’s experiment with the proposed tax boycott in Mayor Jejomar Binay’s Makati and JV Ejercito’s San Juan," he said.

He asked the two mayors to reveal their stand on the proposal. — Jess Diaz