Philippine president improves relations with Senate president: official

The soured relations between President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Senate President Franklin Drilon was improved as they had a "cordial meeting" on Tuesday during the discussions on the executive's priority measures pending in Congress, a government official said.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye told reporters that he did not sense any tension between the two when they were attending the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meeting in the presidential palace.

Drilon, who used to be considered as a strongest ally of President Arroyo, joined the political opposition in calling for her resignation for the corruption and election fraud charges in July.

Last week, President Arroyo said during an interview with the Philippine Star that she was still counting on Drilon to help the executive in passing such important legislations as the anti-terrorism bill and the proposed budget for 2006.

"He has said time and again that as far as legislation for the country is concerned, he's not going to be personal about it, so I'm taking him up on that," she said.

The good relationship between the Executive and Congress was seen as a big factor in the passage of several revenue measures pushed by the executive branch, including the controversial expanded value added tax law.

Even though she has dropped the reconciliation to the political opposition, President Arroyo still sidestepped her soured relations with Drilon, and the 10 Cabinet members and heads of agencies who had resigned from her government and asked her to quit as well during the July political crisis.

"My attitude is not what's important. My feelings are not what's important. What's important is what I have to do for the country. In fact, my father has said time and again, if you're a president,you're not there to enjoy yourself and you must be ready to sacrifice and to suffer," she said.

"So I don't really pay attention to my feelings. I don't think I expect others to do that as well," she added.

Personalities including Drilon, the 10 Cabinet members and former President Corazon Aquino called on the president to step down due to loss of credibility brought about the controversies about her family and election.

However, Arroyo survived the calls as these did not snowball into another "People Power" like the two previous revolutions overthrowing former presidents Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada. The House of Representatives also has junked the impeachment complaints against the president.

But, the political opposition has been refusing the olive passed by President Arroyo and vowed to continue their impeachment attempts through street demonstration and files to the Supreme Court.

Source: Xinhua