Filipinos in Dubai liken Arroyo's credibility to 'soiled laundry'

By Jay Hilotin, Staff Reporter
Published: 9/7/2005, 06:55 (UAE)
Gulf News

Dubai: Philippine President Gloria Arroyo's credibility is like heavily soiled laundry after she admitted calling a key election official last year to rig poll results.

This was the view expressed by several groups of Filipino civil society in Dubai in a meeting held here yesterday."She would only soil the rest of the country if she tries to wash her dirty linen," said Carlos Bacho, leader of Bayanikasan, a Filipino anti-corruption watchdog in Dubai."She has the option to quit and come clean".

There were some who did not agree to calls for Arroyo to resign.A.F., a middle-aged Filipina who has been working in Dubai for nine years, said: "Calls for our president to resign is futile because she has not been proven guilty in an impeachment trial."Leo Canceran, a community leader, said: "Arroyo is like a discredited head of the family .

She violated the law. A family that has lost respect for its head will disintegrate in no time."Wilfredo Lopez, leader of the UAE chapter of Kalahi International, an NGO closely related to the Arroyo administration, also called for the president to step down.Cyrine Pinpin, representative of Migrante International in Dubai, joined the chorus of anti-Arroyo groups.

"Arroyo lost the moral right to stay in Malacanang," she said.Pinpin also asked OFWs to show their withdrawal of support for Arroyo by using the door-to-door or "padala" remittance system, instead of remitting through the formal banking sector."We're not waiting for her to resign.

If she does not quit voluntarily, she will be ousted," said Pinpin.

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