Europe Pinoys slam Arroyo trip to Spain, France, UK

Filipinos in Europe deem President Gloria Arroyo’s trip to some European countries a “waste of the people’s money." Migrante Europe, a group of militant Filipinos in the continent, said in a statement on Saturday that Arryo’s eight-day junket would take her to Spain, France and the United Kingdom, and that it would cost a huge sum of people’s money. The group noted that the President would take the “tour" with a big delegation of Cabinet officials, sycophantic congressmen and favored businessmen. Last Friday, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that Pres. Arroyo would visit Spain and would be given full honors and courtesies in Madrid by the Kingdom on Sunday. Bunye said that the state visit aims to reaffirm economic and historic-cultural ties between the two countries at a time when Spain’s economy is experiencing a strong resurgence. Arroyo hopes to push further Philippines-Spain excellent ties with the signing of cooperation agreements on culture, sports and education as well as agriculture and fisheries, Bunye said. "In sum, the President’s 2007 state visit is the arrowhead that will guide future Philippine relations with Spain and lay the foundations of a follow-through mechanism for initiatives that will bring bilateral relations to a dynamic future," he added. Bunye did not elaborate on the President’s itinerary in Europe. But, Migrante claimed that the state visit is only meant to show to the international community that Arroyo’s morally-bankrupt and politically-isolated administration is on top of the economic and political troubles besetting the Philippines. “Whatever economic agreements that would be forged in the state visit would surely be another sellout of the national patrimony," Migrante said. “We join our compatriots back home in calling for Arroyo’s ouster and in resisting this criminal, morally-bankrupt and anti-human rights and anti-overseas Filipino workers’ regime," it said. - GMANews.TV