Arroyo chooses Zambales over 'EDSA Dos' rites

For the first time, Malacañang decided not to celebrate the anniversary of "EDSA Dos," the historic event that catapulted President Arroyo into office following the ouster of former president Joseph Estrada on Jan. 20, 2001. Instead, the President spent the seventh anniversary of the event by leading the inauguration of the Maculcul Bridge in San Narciso, Zambales Sunday.

The President flew to Zambales to inaugurate the P240-million bridge, which links the towns of San Narciso and San Felipe. She was accompanied to the inauguration by Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane. They were joined by Zambales Gov. Amor Deloso, Rep. Antonio Diaz, San Narciso Mayor William Lim and other local officials during the opening of the bridge.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita earlier said that the lack of celebrations commemorating the event is for the "reconciliation" of warring political factions in the country. Ermita's statement echoed what Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Saturday in Malacañang, where he called on Mrs. Arroyo's critics to join her in moving the nation forward.

Speaking over government radio station dzRB, Bunye said the critics of the President, particularly the political opposition, should set aside their political differences and find a common ground with the administration on the issue of the economy.

"The important thing is that if we cannot agree on politics or many other things, let us at least agree that we should all keep moving the country forward," he said.

"Let us, despite our small disagreements, in our own way try to keep our country, especially our economy, moving forward. When the economy is strong, there are more opportunities for us to uplift our less fortunate countrymen," Bunye added.

Meanwhile, Sergio Apostol, Mrs. Arroyo's chief presidential legal counsel, said the celebrations were postponed due to reports from the Armed Forces of security threats in rallies. "There are some reports from the intelligence community and the military and the police that the leftists might use this as an occassion to create some problems," said Apostol.

Following these, police and military troops were placed on high alert Sunday. The alleged threats announced by the government received criticism from activist groups. Spirit of EDSA Dos 'betrayed'

Opposition figures, meanwhile, also reacted to the Palace's decision to shy away from commemorating the President's ascent to power.

AKBAYAN partyl-ist Rep. Risa Hontiveros said they are not surprised by the Palace's recent pronouncement that the public should forget EDSA Dos, saying that the pardon of Estrada was a betrayal of what the event stood for.

"The government already pardoned Estrada. Coming from a government that has betrayed EDSA Dos several times, forgetting about it is hardly surprising," she said in a statement.

Hontiveros said the cause what the civil society and other groups that went to EDSA Dos was never carried by the Arroyo government. "The soul of EDSA Dos has never been theirs. The GMA administration was never an embodiment of what EDSA Dos stood for, a sore thumb in what we remember as an inspiring act of righteous indignation," she said.

She added that the granting of pardon to Estrada is merely a "political accommodation." Meanwhile, Makati City Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) president Jejomar Binay said the issue on legitimacy will continue to hound the President until her last day in office.

Binay, in a statement released on the anniversary of EDSA Dos, reacted to the statement of Mrs. Arroyo's election lawyer saying that the Presidential Electoral Tribunal's dismissal of the election protest of Sen. Loren Legarda puts to rest the questions about the President's legitimacy.

"Until we hear the truth about the cheating and the fraud that were mentioned in the Hello Garci recordings, the legitimacy question will continue to haunt Mrs. Arroyo until her last day in office," he said.

Binay said Mrs. Arroyo will surely earn a place in history as the only president whose rule has been marked by lingering doubts that she stole the elections from opposition bet Fernando Poe Jr.

Estrada, meanwhile, declined to give a statement regarding the issue. Lesson for the people . In a related interview, political analyst Ramon Casiple agreed in the postponement of the celebrations, saying that the EDSA Dos that was defended in 2001 "is already dead."

"EDSA Dos is a failure. At the end of the day, despite the conviction, lumaya ang convicted," said Casiple, who is the executive director of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms. Casiple added that the spirit of EDSA Dos was "not taken care of," and that it should be a lesson for the people.

Estrada, the country's 13th president, was ousted on Jan. 20, 2001 through a popular revolt led by Mrs. Arroyo. The former president was subsequently jailed and tried for plunder charges.

After more than six years in jail and a legal battle before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, Estrada was found guilty of plunder and sentenced to life imprisonment in October 2007. More than a month after he was found guilty, Mrs. Arroyo pardoned Estrada. With reports from Cecille Lardizabal, ABS-CBN News and The Philippine Star