T he MabuhayRadio.com has been informed that the Office of the Philippine President has accepted the proposal of its editor, Filipino activist Roberto Reyes Mercado, to clone Her Excellency, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Mr. Reyes, a Sorsoganon who is temporarily exiled in Los Angeles, California, suggested the cloning of the Philippine President to defuse the many objections about Mrs. Arroyo’s declaring herself the new Filipino anti-illegal-drug czar and concurrent climate-change (Global Warming) czar. Mr. Reyes said that since the first Arroyo clone could be assigned to work exclusively for the anti-drug campaign, a second clone could be assigned to spearhead the Filipino fight against Global Warming, and so on and so forth.

The Reyes Proposal calls for the creation of as many clones as needed for all the offices that Mrs. Arroyo would head. The Office of the President agreed that fielding clones of Mrs. Arroyo to different government agencies would eliminate the objection that the President is spreading herself too thin for her multiple roles.

However, as of press time, Senate Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr., has e-mailed his objection to the proposed cloning of the multitasking President Arroyo. Senator Pimentel asked in his e-mail: “What would prevent a third or a fourth Arroyo clone from being named as the Prime Minister of a new Parliament in a Philippine Federal Republic?”

Mr. Reyes earlier suggested the cloning of Consul General Marciano A. Paynor, Jr., who heads the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, California, and the Protocol Division of the Office of the Philippine President. Here are excerpts from an article about the Paynor Clones: “It seems that President Arroyo has accepted the suggestion of Filipino activist Roberto Reyes Mercado to clone Consul General Paynor. He suggested to the President that the clone be called "Marciano A. Paynor III" and be assigned full time as the Chief of Presidential Protocol. He suggested respectfully also to President Arroyo that she might want to order more clones of the hard-working and honest public servant that is Mr. Paynor and appoint one of his clones as the Commandant of the Philippine Military Academy. Mr. Paynor is an illustrious member of the now-infamous Class of 1971. Reyes Mercado said that appointing Marciano Paynor IV to head the PMA might pave the way for sound structural reforms in the academy and make it regain its traditional honor and respect for its alumni.” To read the full story, please click on this link: BalitaKuno (Niños Inocentes Edition)

As the cloning plan is making the rounds, manufacturers of the so-called “Gloria Dolls” are ecstatic about the prospect of marketing more variations of the hot-selling toys. Readers who may want to read more about it can click this link:

“Gloria Dolls” Are Selling Like Hotcakes Among Overseas Filipinos

Here is a related article: “Arroyo Unfit to be Climate-Change Czar – Green Group

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A newly-formed environmental network on climate change remains unimpressed with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's self-appointed role as the new chairperson of the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change (PTFCC).

Members of the Philippine Climate Watch Alliance (PCWA), a broad network of non-government organizations, grassroots and people's organizations, and individuals aiming to examine and address the impacts of climate change on marginalized communities within the country, regards President Arroyo's latest role as somewhat contradictory considering her positions on mining and energy projects in the Philippines.

Frances Quimpo, Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines (CEC), a non-government organization and one of PCWA's convenors, noted that "while President Arroyo has now taken up climate change as a special concern, she remains one of the strongest promoters of the mining industry, one of the significant emitters of greenhouse gases and culprits behind deforestation in the Philippines".

"President Arroyo was the author of Republic Act 7942, or the Mining Act of 1995 and has directly ordered the policy shift from tolerance to active promotion of mining liberalization in the Philippines. Her administration has instituted very accommodating regulations for foreign mining firms," noted Quimpo.

"As of January 2008, the Philippine government has approved 294 mining permits. Approved mining permits and agreements have increased by 18% from 431 in 2006 to 504 in 2007," Quimpo said.  

"President Arroyo may want to fight climate change. Yet she actively promotes the policy of mining liberalization, which is basically a fancy term for allowing more foreign mining corporations to deforest, trash, and lay to waste Philippine lands," Quimpo said.

In addition to the President's policies on mining, PCWA Spokesperson Meggie Nolasco noted that "the Arroyo administration's energy development policies, as outlined in the Philippine Energy Plan 2005-2014, will do little to reduce the country's carbon emissions.  

"The Arroyo administration continues to promote the building of new coal-power plants and promote the entry of giant energy firms--who are also the world's top emitters of carbon, such as Exxon, Shell--into energy and gas exploration projects," Nolasco said.

"It's a publicity gimmick. President Arroyo can go about having herself televised while inspecting government offices here in Manila to see whether they practice basic waste segregation and prudent energy use if she wants to. But unless the administration reverses current policies, such as mining liberalization, and clamps down on environmentally-destructive development projects which make Filipino communities more vulnerable to the impacts and effects of climate change, we doubt if her new "Friday habit" will do much to address the issue of climate change impacts on the Philippines," Nolasco concluded.

References:
Meggie Nolasco, PCWA Spokesperson – 0916.373.3275
Frances Quimpo, Executive Director, CEC-Phils – 0917.884.6325

-- The Philippine Climate Watch Alliance (PCWA) is a broad network of non-government organizations, grassroots and people's organizations, and individuals aiming to examine and address the impacts of climate change on marginalized communities within the country.

For inquiries, please contact the Secretariat:
Website: www.philclimatewatch.org
Telefax No. +632-9209099,+632-9248756
Email: pcwa.secretariat@gmail.com

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