Palace: 'Do a Thaksin' call based on 'warped logic'

Malacañang said Thursday that the opposition’s call for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to follow Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's move to step down from office was based on “warped logic", and warned that it risked straining the country’s relations with Thailand. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the opposition displayed "sweeping hypocrisy" by opposing Charter change but at the same time, urge the President to follow Thaksin’s move, which was made possible by Thailand's parliamentary system. "They cannot have it both ways: support a parliamentary system when it suits their argument, deny it when it doesn't. That warped logic accurately sums up the opposition: they don't know whether they are coming or going," Bunye said. He said Mrs. Arroyo's critics showed their "deep ignorance" on how the country's present system of government works compared with Thailand's parliamentary system. Bunye also said that Thailand "is a good friend and ally" of the Philippines and as a matter of policy, the government would "never comment" on the internal political situation of any country. "There are those opponents in the Philippines who don't observe such protocols and will grasp at any straw and look for any excuse to criticize our President and replay their weary refrain for the President to step down," Bunye said. He said the opposition’s use of the political situation in Thailand to revitalize moves to oust Mrs. Arroyo would not succeed, just like similar attempts in the past. The press secretary belittled fresh efforts of Senate President Franklin Drilon and other opposition senators to draw up support for the call that Mrs. Arroyo step down. Bunye said the senators have appeared in numerous anti-government rallies in the past several months but have not had any impact because the people were tired of "politicking and destabilization". -GMANews.TV