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By Efren L.
Danao, Senior Reporter
DUMAGUETE
CITY: Reelectionist Sen. Edgardo Angara said that the failure of
opposition candidates to draw crowds in their rallies indicated that
their “platform of negativism” is not getting any public
support.
“The Genuine
Opposition is running on a platform of ousting President Arroyo; it
is not presenting any genuine platform,” he said in a dialogue
with local leaders here.
Angara, a
candidate of the administration-led coalition Team Unity, said that
what the people are looking for are solutions and not negative
campaigning that would only exacerbate the current situation.
No support
“The rallies
of the Genuine Opposition in Dagupan City, Calamba City, Iloilo City
and Antique were canceled, because they could not draw any public
support. This was expected because of their bankruptcy of issues,”
he contended.
Angara
believed that the Philippine economy could boom only if political
leaders, including the opposition, learn how to work together.
Angara said
that after five years of “constantly fighting, wrangling and
partisanship, it’s about time that Filipino leaders get together
and work together.
“This is the
time to do it because the economy is slowly growing. There are signs
of economic recovery, and if politicians get together and keep the
momentum, then we will be able to consolidate those economic
gains,” he said.
Nonproductive
Angara said
the need to stop the Philippines from becoming the basket case of
Southeast Asia impelled him to coalesce with the administration. He
lashed at the Genuine Opposition for propagating a “vicious,
nonproductive and destructive type of politics” that could keep
the economy from improving.
He pointed out
that when the LDP, which he heads, was the dominant opposition party
during the Ramos administration, he as Senate President and members
of the LDP prepared the Ramos legislative agenda to assure the
economic recovery of the country.
He criticized
the candidates of the Genuine Opposition for its negative
campaigning, which he pictured as focused on the ouster of President
Arroyo. Angara said that the people would not support any move that
would exacerbate the situation “when what was needed were
solutions.”
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