PRESS RELEASE

January 25, 2010

For Reference:
Andrea Echavez
0922-8987150

PHILIPPINES IS BETTER UNDER THE ARROYO ADMINISTRATION?

She must be joking.

This was the reaction of Bangon Pilipinas presidential candidate Bro. Eddie
Villanueva over the statement of Pres. Arroyo that the country has become better,
even for investors, under her administration.

“This is the funniest joke I’ve ever heard. Different statistics and surveys show
otherwise. Under her administration, Filipinos who experienced hunger grew by leaps
and bounds. Poverty, measured even by her own official statistics, actually increased
and worsened under her administration,” Bro. Eddie said in a press statement.

In the past few days, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), the government’s
public relations arm, has been publishing a series of full-page advertisements
highlighting the purported achievements of the administration.

“Mrs. Arroyo should not confine herself to her own definition of how things have
become better now for the Filipinos,” Bro. Eddie said. "The Palace is using selective
statistics to paint their rose-colored version of the pathetic state of the country, and
conveniently ignored the statistics that really matter to the common Filipino."

Washington-based think-tank Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street ranked the
Philippine as 109th out of 183 countries in terms of economic freedom. The countries
were rated in terms of freedom in labor, business, trade and investment; fiscal,
monetary and financial freedom; property rights, government spending, and freedom
from corruption.

The Philippines garnered an overall score of 56.3 points, fractionally lower than in
2009, and was ranked 20th out of 41 countries in the Asia-Pacific. The report also
noted that the Philippines relied heavily on overseas workers’ remittances, which
reflected a lack of domestic economic dynamism. Likewise, it noted the weakness of
the judicial system, adding that organized crime is a serious problem in the country.

The ranking in the index is consistent with other studies showing that the Philippines
has been left behind by many of its neighbors in terms of competitiveness, level of
foreign direct investments, and human development indicators.

“We used to be the No. 1 nation in Southeast Asia in the 50s, second only to Japan in
the 70s. Now, what has become of us? We are among the poorest nations in the
region,” Bro. Eddie lamented.
He said that every institution in the country has been damaged - one way or another -
by corruption and other scandal under the present administration.

“For instance, Ondoy and Peping would not have caused so much devastation and
loss of life if only the agencies tasked to mitigate the impact of calamities are well-
prepared. We are a typhoon and earthquake belt, and yet our National Disaster and
Coordinating Council and the different agencies under it continue to be somewhat
clueless in minimizing the impact of natural calamities,” Bro. Eddie said.

He also cited the scandals that remain unresolved like the fertilizer scandal, the ZTE
scandal, the Hello Garci scandal, among others.

The recent attempt to appoint a replacement for the retiring Chief Justice also
smacked of the Arroyo government’s disregard for delicadeza.

Moreover, it was under the Arroyo administration that the country's worst-ever
political massacre happened.

“Peace and order became worse under this administration because it has created
monsters like those behind the Ampatuan, Maguindanao massacre,” Bro. Eddie said.

He said such scandals and peace and order problems are the real manifestation of this
government’s real achievements, or more accurately, lack of it.

“The real achievement of this administration is bringing down the country to further
deterioration,” Bro. Eddie said.

He said the root of the deteriorating situation in the country is the lack of moral values
within the government leadership.

“What can we expect from (this government) when we are led by greedy, self-serving
individuals who are only after their own welfare,” he added.

Bro. Eddie said the upcoming election is the chance of the Filipino people to reject
politicians who are only after their own selfish gains.

“Let us bring back delicadeza and true public service in the bureaucracy,” he said.
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