Cayetano dares Mike Arroyo: Go on exile

To assure the public that there will be no cheating in the May 14 elections, First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo should go again on voluntary exile until the end of May. This was the challenge posed Wednesday by Genuine Opposition senatorial bet Alan Peter Cayetano to Malacañang which he said "recycles" media gimmicks to boost its image or damage those of its enemies. "Why not a voluntary exile by FG until May 14 or two weeks after May 14? And I will even, pwede niya kausapin long distance, mag-wire ng pera, I will say on record wala siyang kinalaman sa operation if he goes on exile (Why not let the first gentleman go on voluntary exile until May 14 or two weeks after elections? I can talk to him abroad and even wire him money. I will say on record he has nothing to do with cheating operations)," Cayetano said at a press conference of the GO in Makati City. He pointed out that Arroyo went on voluntary exile in 2005, at the height of the "Hello, Garci" scandal, which sparked the worst political crisis of the administration. Besides, he said it is unlikely the First Gentleman's family will miss him when he is away. "That's the challenge I want to throw at the admin to show they are serious about having clean and honest elections," he said. For his part, Sen. Panfilo Lacson dared the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to come out with its list of registered voters for this year's election. Lacson said the May 14 polls are nearing, yet the Comelec has not given the public an idea of how many Filipinos will vote – save for an earlier statement by chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr putting the estimate at 45 million. He said that in 2004, there were about 34 million registered voters. A figure of 45 million in 2007 would be too big a leap in the number of voters, he said. "Natatakot tayo sobra sa talagang nagrehistrong botante ang boboto, siguradong di pupunta sa amin ang excess na boto (I am afraid that if there are too many voters, the excess votes won't go to the opposition)," he said. Meanwhile, the GO issued Wednesday a "memory aid" for its 11 candidates – "PLANT A LOVER." GO spokesman Adel Tamano said the phrase is an acronym for Pimentel, Lacson, Aquino, Nikki (Coseteng), Trillanes, Alan (Cayetano), Loren (Legarda), Osmeña, Villar, Escudero, and Roco. "All you have to do to help GO is plant a lover," Tamano said. - GMANews.TV