Dureza prayer is one reason why people distrust Palace - Roxas

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Manuel Roxas II on Wednesday described Press Secretary Jesus Dureza's prayer on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's serving beyond 2010 as a slip of the tongue that revealed an unconscious wish. “Talaga namang nadulas at nakita ang tunay na hangarin o yung tunay na pagnanais ng presidential spokesman," Roxas said in an ambush interview. According to Roxas these actions are one of the reasons why the public distrusts the government. “Ito ay isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit wala nang tiwala sa administrasyon, dahilan sa nakikita nila itong mga pagbabago kuno sa Saligang Batas ay para sa kabutihan ng bansa, sa totoo lang, para sa pagpahaba ng termino ng Pangulo,"he added. Dureza, during an opening prayer at the Cabinet on Tuesday, asked that the President be given the strength to lead until 2010 or “even beyond." "Bless the President so we will have forbearance, good health, the tolerance to lead this nation up to 2010, and perhaps, who knows, even beyond," he said. The President then, appeared uneasy as the prayer ended. Visibly embarrassed, Mrs. Arroyo, who was in good mood when she entered the room, immediately blurted out "Oh my God!" and covered her face with her hands. After the Prayer, the President told the media covering the meeting not to publish or air the prayer, an order that drew laughs and murmurs from those in the room. But at the Senate, the prayer was viewed as a serious matter with Roxas saying that there is a resolution in the House of Representatives that is pushing for a Constituent Assembly. He added that the resolution has already garnered 150 signatures. Despite this, Roxas expressed confidence that the Senate would not allow the resolution to be push through. “In fact, maaalala natin na nagpasa ang Senado ng isang resolution, and of those signatories, there are 16 of those na umuupo pa bilang senador, sina Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, Senator Miriam Santiago, Senator Ed Angara at napakarami pang iba, na nagsasabi na, kung con-ass nga, kailangang kasama ang Senado, voting separately. Hindi kami papayag na bale-wala ang Senado," Roxas said. Senator Richard Gordon, for his part, maintained that he would not dance the Cha-cha until before the 2010 elections are conducted. “If we're going to have Cha-cha, people must be part of the process… To be able to make people part of the process of change, it should be done after the elections, one. Two, during the elections, it should be raised as an issue. The candidates, possible candidates, would they be asked if they were for Cha-cha or not or what issues they would raise on the Cha-cha, whether they are for Con-ass or for Con-com.," Gordon said. - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV