GO accepts Salceda’s challenge for debate

By Ronron
February 28, 2007

The Genuine Opposition (GO) accepted on Wednesday the challenge of Presidential Chief of Staff Joey Salceda for a debate over the performance of the Arroyo government over the last six years.

“We respond to Secretary Salceda’s challenge to debate on the real state of the Philippine economy by accepting the challenge, and daring team GMA (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) to debate with GO candidates at Plaza Miranda (in Quiapo, Manila),” GO spokesman Atty. Adel Tamano said yesterday.

Salceda on Tuesday said the Arroyo government is prepared to confront GO after the latter came up with a paid advertisement on a daily broadsheet, lambasting the Arroyo government for failing to address the various problems in the country.

Tamano said the debate should be done at Plaza Miranda so the administration candidates “can see first hand if their so-called economic gains under the Arroyo administration are truly reaching the Filipino people.”

“We want to see if Team GMA’s candidates can look the average Filipino in the eye, and say in all honesty that Juan dela Cruz’ life has improved under the Arroyo administration,” Tamano said.

In its advertisement, GO accused Arroyo of cheating the public with its alleged economic gains when in fact it failed to equal the performance of the Estrada administration.

But Salceda said the advertisement used inappropriate figures from the Arroyo government./DMS