Press Release
January 15, 2007

Warns country faces international ridicule, embarrassment
LONG OVERDUE POLITICAL DEBT THAT NEEDS TO BE PAIDDRA. LOI

Opposition Sen. Dr. Luisa "Loi" Ejercito Estrada yesterday described as a long overdue political debt that needs to be paid, the insistence by Malacañang in appointing former Supreme Court chief justice Hilario Davide Jr., as the countrys official representative to the United Nations.

Its a sort of dj vu; the public still remembers vividly the scene at the EDSA Shrine in January 2001 when the then Chief Justice administered the oath of presidential office to Mrs. Arroyo as acting president," the former First Lady said, adding:

"Now, were having an instant replay of the past but in reverse mode with Mrs. Arroyo administering the oath as ambassador to her political savior. This time Mrs. Arroyo has just returned the favor by saving him from the boredom of his advancing years." According to Dra. Loi, Mr. Davide as Supreme Court Chief Justice vainly tried to save Mrs. Arroyo in 2001 as being branded as an "usurper" and "power-grabber."

Malacanang over the weekend confirmed that Davide, 71, formally took his oath before Mrs. Arroyo as RPs Permanent Representative to the UN, replacing Ambassador Lauro Baja Jr., a career and seasoned-diplomat.

Dra. Loi noted that Mrs. Arroyo has continuously abused the prerogatives of her office, running roughshod over the Constitution and rule of law and subjecting the country to unwanted international ridicule considering that Davide has never been confirmed to his post by powerful Commission on Appointments where her colleague and eldest son, Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, is a member.

With the failure of the Commission on Appointments to take up Mr. Davides UN posting when we adjourned last December 22, he is effectively bypassed and is now in effect, holding a void appointment. The Philippines is now in the ridiculous position of having as representative in one of the worlds most premier bodies a man with an invalid appointment despite being a former chief justice. And the country would be doubly embarrassed should the Senate rejects his confirmation, Dra. Loi pointed out.

Dra. Loi also asserted that while there may be nothing wrong in the swearing-in of Davide, it has always been the practice and the protocol observed by majority of UN members that their ambassadors need first to be confirmed before they can even present their credentials to their host.

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