The United States charge d'affaires in the Philippines Monday called on the Philippine government to carry out social, political and economic reforms which he said may help realize national reconciliation and recovery in the country.

The outgoing US Charge d'Affaires Joseph Mussomeli said at a press conference that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo knows what she needs to do now is action and move forward for reforms to win confidence from the public.

"If she moves forward, she might turn public opinion around," said Mussomeli who will leave Manila to serve as US ambassador to Cambodia this month.

"She needs to proceed with confidence that she is the president. She knows what this country needs and she should not let anything stand her way," he added.

Mussomeli also lamented that so much time and effort have been lost in the Philippines because of political turbulence and that the country has not moved forward since it toppled the Marcos dictatorship in 1986.

"I think that Filipino culture and society are victim of its own virtues. The strong sense of forgiveness can sometimes prevent a certain accountability and responsibility that any civil, modern society needs," he said.

The diplomat also said that loyalty among Filipinos needs to be more than family and friends and that they should not also be too tolerant to those who have done something wrong.

"There should be some rational basis for it. People are too tolerant (in the Philippines) and too long suffering sometimes. Those virtues have helped impede progress of the Philippines. All these things needs to be worked on in the next 20 years," he said.

Source: Xinhua