"I speak Ilocano and I speak Pangasinense. I am genuine Pangasinense," she said in a press conference at the municipal hall here when asked if she was confident the Pangasinan residents would carry her and not the movie actor to victory.
Poe, who held his campaign sortie in this province last week, reportedly hails from San Carlos, Pangasinan, the same town where Arroyo’s grandmother was born. The movie actor however faces a disqualification case from the presidential race before the Supreme Court because he is allegedly not a natural-born citizen.
The President took her campaign trail in vote-rich Pangasinan towns, including Binalonan, the hometown of her mother, the late First Lady Eva Macaraeg Macapagal, upon her arrival from Zambales Thursday night.
At the news conference, Mrs. Arroyo, accompanied by her running mate, Sen. Noli de Castro, House Speaker Jose de Venecia, and Pangasinan Gov. Victor Agbayani, initially answered in the local dialect and then translated her words to English.
Taking pride of her local roots in the province, the President explained her mother was born in Lingayen but grew up in Binalonan, which celebrated its town fiesta yesterday.
Her grandmother, Irenea, meanwhile, hailed from San Carlos, Pangasinan. The President arrived here Thursday night and immediately visited police stations in Sta. Cruz, Infanta, Dasal, Burgos, Bani, Alaminos, Dagupan, and Manaog until 3 a.m yesterday.
With only three hours of sleep, the President yesterday kicked off her campaign sortie in the province with a 9 a.m. mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag.
Along with De Castro, the President held a motorcade around Manaoag, Asingan (hometown of former President Fidel Ramos), Binalonan, San Manuel, San Nicolas, and Rosales.
The President is expected to hold two more visits in Pangasinan, with an estimated number of 1.2 million voters, considered the biggest number of voters in the country.
The President and the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan para sa Kinabukasan (K-4) coalition candidates received a warm welcome from the residents of Pangasinan, who waved flags and banners supporting their candidacies.
She was expected to trek last night to nearby Baguio City to attend the annual Panagbenga flower festival. She will resume her campaign trail in Nueva Ecija today.
Weakening of peso
BINALONAN, Pangasinan — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo yesterday warned the further weakening of the peso against the dollar with the rising political tension in the run up to the May national elections.
The President, however, quickly assured the government has the economic tools to stem the steady fall of the local currency since the start of the national campaign began last week.
"Our currency will continuously be attacked by political developments in the country but we assure the public that we will not be rendered helpless by the situation," she said in a statement.
Mrs. Arroyo said the government is taking the necessary steps "to cushion the negative impact of the weak peso on the lives of ordinary people and to prevent the adverse domino effect it could bring."
"We have the economic tools to stabilize the peso and make sure politics does not override our efforts," she said.
The peso fell to its all time low at 56.35 against the dollar last Friday.
The President has stepped in to save the falling peso by calling for a meeting of officials from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Department of Finance on Monday.
The officials are expected to draw up plans to avert the continued fall of the local currency.
The President earlier said the peso was undervalued since it is weighed down by excessive political mudslinging ahead of the May elections.
She said controversies, such as the disqualification case of presidential aspirant Fernando Poe Jr. before the Supreme Court for not being a natural-born citizen, have been handled with justice and fair play.
"Let us await the ruling of the court with calm and sobriety. Our peace and unity are paramount in these times," she said.
The President has asked the public not to worry about the plunging peso and instead trust "in democracy and in ourselves, in our capacity to hurdle crisis and to overcome our fears."
She appealed to all political leaders as well as her presidential opponents for the "highest level of statemanship" in the upcoming elections.
In the past, the President often left to the discretion of the BSP authorities to prevent the further weakening of the peso.
The peso went to a tailspin early this year allegedly due to political concerns ahead of the May vote, and the fresh military restiveness. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)
