Four days ago, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo attended the canonization of the foundress of the Religious of the Assumption, Blessed Marie Eugenie, and three others: Blessed John Andrew Houben, Blessed Lipnica Murowana of Poland, and Blessed George Preca of Malta. GMA is an alumna of Assumption Convent. Though I'm proud to say that I also attended a school in the RA system, knowing that she graduated from a sister school does not make me proud.
Interestingly, the heads of state of Poland, Malta and Ireland were there. That of France, where Blessed Marie Eugenie hailed from, wasn't. So GMA is a stand-in for Sarkozy now?
Anong konek? An earlier report said this:
Militant Filipinos working and living in Italy and other parts of Europe are poised to hold protest rallies against Ms Arroyo in Rome.
The visits to Italy and Portugal were part of a public relations blitz to repair the country’s “tarnished image,” said Migrante International.
“The Rome visit is [meant] to get the Catholic Church’s blessing for her criminal regime … and to drum up political support for her regime’s greater diabolical plans to perpetuate fascist rule through the newly passed antiterror law,” said a statement from the group’s European-based affiliates.
According to Migrante, the defeat of the administration senatorial candidates in the overseas absentee voting was “a clear message” to Ms Arroyo “that she is already exposed, that Filipino migrants do not want her anymore, and that they are willing to take militant action to lobby their host countries and governments to stop the political killings and abductions, and to stop foreign aid to her regime.”
The three groups also condemned alleged cheating in the May 14 elections and the Arroyo administration’s supposed efforts to ensure the failure of another impeachment attempt against the President and the success of Charter change.
Before a private audience with the Pope, GMA seemed to pacify some Pinoys at the Fontifico Colegio de Filipino when she announced that the the passport fee at the Philippine embassy in Italy has been reduced from €65 to €50 and the authentication fees from €32 to €25, and that Philippine driver's licenses will be honored in Italy. Report here .
Gloria, Gloria, you will have to do better than that.
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