Arroyo seeks parly govt

MANILA – The embattled Philippine President yesterday asked political and civil groups to join her in bringing about political reform, including changing from a presidential to a parliamentary government.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in a live broadcast of a speech to legislators, said the “fundamental law of the land” needed to be changed to confront issues such as federalism, a parliamentary form of government, campaign finance reform and “modernising the economic provisions of the constitution”. She said she would elaborate on those ideas in her state of the union address on July 25.Arroyo decried the “endless investigations and scandals in aid of politics and media projection rather than in aid of legislation or executive action”.”Because of this system of politics, our country has been left behind by other countries in the region and our best and brightest, the cream of our youth, are voting with their feet to leave the country,” Arroyo said.”We are collectively to blame for the degeneration of the system.We must collectively be the solution,” she declared.Arroyo, starting to rebuild her economic team after mass resignations from the Cabinet last week, named yesterday the president of state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines and former congressman Margarito Teves as the country’s new finance secretary.- Nampa-ReutersShe said she would elaborate on those ideas in her state of the union address on July 25.Arroyo decried the “endless investigations and scandals in aid of politics and media projection rather than in aid of legislation or executive action”.”Because of this system of politics, our country has been left behind by other countries in the region and our best and brightest, the cream of our youth, are voting with their feet to leave the country,” Arroyo said.”We are collectively to blame for the degeneration of the system.We must collectively be the solution,” she declared.Arroyo, starting to rebuild her economic team after mass resignations from the Cabinet last week, named yesterday the president of state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines and former congressman Margarito Teves as the country’s new finance secretary.- Nampa-Reuters