Exclusive: Arroyo's Speech Revealed !

Former President and Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is expected to be transferred to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) anytime on Tuesday, December 6, 2011, for her continued hospital arrest as ordered by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC). The veterans hospital has undergone some minor renovations and improvements already in preparation for her arrival.

A reliable source from Arroyo’s camp  has given information that  they are now in the process of packing up Arroyo’s personal belongings at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in preparation for her transfer to VMMC. The source also said that Arroyo has prepared a speech for her arrival at the VMMC, and that the speech contained a controversial plea addressed to the Aquino government.

The VMMC administration has organized a welcome activity for Arroyo, and many VIPs and honorary guests have been invited to be there. Since we the common and ordinary people would obviously not have the opportunity to be among the invited guests, we have acquired an exclusive copy of the speech that we would now like to share to you. Please take note that you will be among the very few who would be able to read this speech in advance, so consider it a privilege you are a frequent visitor of this blog.

Here is the full speech and remember, it’s for your eyes only.

“Maraming salamat. Thank you President  Benigno Aquino III, Vice-President and Mrs. Jejomar Binay, former President Fidel Ramos, Senate President and Mrs. Enrile and the members of the Senate, Speaker and Mrs. Belmonte and the members of the House of Representatives, Chief Justice and Mrs. Corona, and the Associate Justices and other members of the Judiciary, Excellencies to Special Envoys and members of the Diplomatic Corps, members of the Cabinet and their ladies, other appointed officials, mayors of Metropolitan Manila, governors and other local officials, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces and its men and women, as well as those of the PNP, members of the various sectors of society, fellow workers in government, mga minamahal kong kababayan, Mabuhay ang Sambayanang Filipino.

Taus-pusong pasasalamat, salamat na rin sa inyong mga hindi nagmamahal sa akin na mga kababayan, salamat sa ating demokrasya, at sa Poong Maykapal.

This ceremony never fails to impress. It detains the formerly highest official of the land under the chief care of a government hospital, and the principal eventuality of leaving it better than when she was admitted in.

Let me speak plainly. When I will be judged again a few years from now, this will be my 10-point legacy.

I shall have indirectly created more than 6 million jobs, perhaps, even 10 million jobs, and not just call centers. Mahigit anim na milyong trabaho, kung maaari sampung milyong trabaho na hindi puro outsourced opportunities. I shall have encouraged  3 million entrepreneurs by allowing them to believe that even a former head of state could be incarcerated and made to face justice by the republic, thus helping to persuade them to become good managers to avoid the hatred of their staff or workers. No more contractual work arrangements, and fair chances for regularization. That way, we shall be establishing a deep foundation for a broad middle class and respect accorded even to the lower class.

I shall have indirectly developed 1 million hectares, if possible 2 million of Hacienda Luisita agribusiness land through the help of my appointed justices from the Supreme Court. Thus making the farm workers more eager and productive in planting and  transporting their products to the markets efficiently. Everyone of school age will be in school in an uncrowded classroom, in surroundings conducive to learning because solons will hesitate to continue with their corruption and mishandling of funding and appropriations therefore all intended funds for education will surely reach their respective destinations. Asahang makakapasok na muli sa eskuwela ang bawat bata. Magkakaroon na ng sapat na lugar sa silid-aralan at may computer sa bawat aralan.

I shall have indirectly balanced the budget because now the Bureau of Internal Revenue or BIR could fully collect the right revenues and spend on the right things since many of our people would no longer feel shortchanged and declare their real assets and liabilities. The network of transport and digital infrastructure on which my government embarked in the last years would now see the new government link the entire country because now the plan for a centralized means of communication and information access could now be fulfilled without any under the table deals like the maliscious NBN-ZTE deal.

Power and water will now be regularly provided to all barangays. Kuryente at tubig para sa lahat ng barangay natin. All power and water utilities concerned projects will now be immediately but not hastily done using proper and standard construction materials, implementation costs will not be padded, and would not be initiated during the start of the rainy season.

Metro Manila will now be decongested, except for the Cory Aquino Avenue…I mean EDSA, ….and with economic activity growing and spreading to new centers of government business and community in Luzon, in the Visayas and in Mindanao. The Subic-Clark corridor will now be the most competitive international service and logistic center in the Southeast Asian Region with no more issues of bribery and smuggling.

Elections. Elections will no longer raise a single doubt about their integrity. The electoral process will be completely computerized. Tama na ang manu-manong pagsusuma ng boto, tama na ang dagdag-bawas. And long before that, peace will have come to Mindanao dahil wala na sa power ang mga Ampatuans, wala na ring 12-0. All insurgence shall have turned their guns into plowshares at wala na ang mga private armies at massacre. Ganoon din sana sa ating pamilya. Huwag sana tayo magaya sa pamilya Revilla/Bautista na sinasabing nagkutsaba upang patayin ang isang miyembro ng pamilya. I wish we will become so absorbed into one society that the struggles of the past, like my conspiring with former COMELEC commissioners like Garcillano, will be just a stuff of legend.

The divisive issues generated by EDSA I, II and III will also be just memories shared by friends from every side in those upheavals. Only the lessons of unity, courage and a just closure left alive in their hearts. Dapat wakasan na sa makatarungang paraan ang hidwaang bunsod ng EDSA I, II at III. Higit ang nagbubuklod kaysa naghahati sa atin bilang isang bansa. Masiglang bayan tayo. Buhay ang demokrasya. Maalab ang puso ng sambayanan. Nasa pusod ng pagkatao natin ang sipag at tiyaga, pananampalataya sa Diyos at pagmamahal sa pamilya. Kilala ang Pilipino sa buong daigdig. Kilala sa matapat na asal, marangal na kalooban at matatag na pagkatao. We fight for what we believed in. The last presidential election clearly saw this fighting Filipino spirit at its best. Villar, Teodoro, Estrada, Villanueva,  Delos Reyes, Perlas, Gordon, Madrigal, except for Acosta, all fought with conviction. But congratulations to Aquino for the win. If only we could now fight together with the same energy and conviction to preserve our freedom and advance our nation's progress.

We know now what we can do when we set our minds to it. We know now how well we can unite the people around our respective causes. Nakita naman natin kung gaano kabilis ang Supreme Court para mag-release ng TRO, at nakita rin natin kung gaano kabilis maglabas ng Warrant of Arrest and Pasay RTC. Can we not also work together to rally the nation behind the paramount objective of its salvation? Upang magtagumpay at matamo ang ating pangarap kailangan magbuklud-buklod tayo. Magbaba ng mga hadlang na naghahati sa ating bansa. Magtaguyod ng kabuhayan para sa maralita. Katarungan para sa lahat. Iyan ang saligan ng tunay na pagkakaisa. Our unity as a people will be defined by a strong vision for the nation built on common values of hard work, shared sacrifice and love of country. The unity we seek is not one of conformity but unwavering respect for the rules and institutions of democracy, a modern country founded on social justice enjoying economic prosperity. To achieve a united country, we need to face the deep divisions of our nation squarely, not only the truth but also the solution. That solution must engage all segments of society in a new government of political reform and economic change.

Our nation must embrace a vision of economic opportunity, social cohesion and always and ever democratic faith. I offer my hand, thanking it is still without handcuffs, and hoping it will be taken with the same faith. Unity is not measured by how many political parties are able to achieve the accommodation of narrow self-interest, rather it is achieved by the harmony of the sincere convictions based on our agreement on the basic requirements for achieving the national good. These basic requirements that we need is similar to the basic requirements that KC Concepcion is looking for from Piolo Pascual…and that is, sana tayong lahat ay magpakalalaki upang matapang na harapin ang kinabukasan.

Hindi tayo hanay lamang ng mga islang paligid ng tubig kundi bayang pinagdurugtong ng karagatan at nagkakaisa sa mayamang katangian ng iba't ibang bahagi ng sambayanan. Hindi tayo pinaghihiwalay ng sawing pag-asa kung hindi pinagbubuklod ng kaunlaran nating pinapangarap. Our ability to unify will be judged by our ability to come together under a common vision that will erase the divisions that hold us back as a nation. The government must continue making tough choices. They showed that they can be tougher on the likes of me who had it easy for the greater good and of national interest. They defied a Supreme Court ruling just to prevent me from escaping. In this defiance alone lies their strength, conviction, unity and not exploitation and division. Dapat kalahok rin sa nilalayon ng bayan ang pag-asa at pangarap ng pinakadukhang mamamayan nang hindi tayo mabigong lahat.

Imoral ang aking naging walang sawang pagtatamasa ng yaman at kapangyarihan habang paunti nang paunti ang itinitira sa mga kababayang dukha. Imoral ang aking pagiging manhid at tiwali samantalang kinakapos ang mahirap sa gamot, paaralan, tirahan at tubig. Imoral ang paggastos ko ng malaki sa aking mga foreign trips at pagkain, habang nagugutom ang malaking porsiyento ng ating mga kababayan, Imoral na pinabayaan ko ang aking mga alipores na takutin ang ating mga anak, asawa, kapatid, kapuso at kapamilya upang paralisahin ang ekonomiya at ipahamak ang ating kinabukasan dahil ang pinaka nahihirapan sa lahat ng ito ay ang mga maralita. Kaya narito ako ngayon at tila nakakulong, taglay ang takda ng taumbayan, upang kamuhian ng sambayanan pero nangangakong ngayon ay magbabago at tutulong makibaka para sa bagong bukas para sa ating lahat.

I come to you today with a mandate to suffer by the clear call of the sovereign people. I now pledge to ask you for a pro-Arroyo agenda that will lift up my now tarnished honor, lost dignity and diminished pride. I pledge to your government that it will try and judge me within fair means and would not put all and every spare peso to work towards my immediate and lifetime incarceration. I pledge to your government that if it can underspend on the national budget by reducing spending where government does not work and increasing spending where a government can make a difference for better, I hope it could also save on our valuable peso by not subjecting me to a trial.

And while I am confined in this dreaded hospital’s presidential suite, I will help the government crack-down on wasteful and abusive officials and influenced peddlers. I would submit myself to become a state witness, eventhough I am not the less guilty. I also pledge to help you collect taxes mandated by law as I would divulge the people doing extortion masqueraded as tax collection. I will tell them to pay their taxes; and don't pretend to be innocent when they are caught. I will help the government  crack-down on tax cheats. And I pledge to do everything necessary to help the government expand the economy, and engage it in the world of commerce and advance the interests of our country and our people the world over.

Ngunit para magawa ko ang lahat ng ito, kailangan ko ang habag ninyo. Hindi ko magagawa ang lahat kung ako ay nakakulong. Kailangan ko ang ang aking kalayaan upang tayo ay maka-isa, I mean…upang tayo ay magkaisa, makiisa at isa-isang lunasan ang mga sugat ng kahapon. Kailangan ko ang habag ng bawat Pilipino upang magpatawad ang sambayanan para maiwasan ang hamon ng kulungan. I challenge our business community to rise to the occasion and embrace selfless nationalism. Persuade our government to allow me another chance instead of retribution. Before I have encouraged the business community to invest in our people and our country instead of giving excuses for keeping their money abroad where it cannot put the Filipino people to work. Now, I am encouraging them to also invest in me since I could not also think of anymore valid reasons to allow my travel abroad.

I challenge our young men and women; there is a role to play in the re-creation of our nation, some in honest public service, most in productive private endeavor. You can join the many fun runs being organized for several purposes and advocacies by different foundations: Run for The Pasig River, Run for the Rainforest, 1,4,3, Go! For Psychiatric Patients, Fun Run for Blood Advocacy, Run for Better Education, Takbo Para sa Lupa at Karapatan, Run for Free Rice, and even Run for Better Sex. You could also participate in text-brigades to require NTC for immediate implementation of their directives for cheaper calls and SMS, and unmetered Internet access. Whatever it is you decide to do, let the greater part of it be for our country. It is personal patriotism not impersonal free markets that makes nation strong and great.

I look up to my fellow Representathieves not to seize me, but to seize this moment in history. Treat it like it will not come again. I know that all eyes are upon me now. The government has it within their power to transform my life with laws. Laws that instead could modernize our banking, laws that could reform our bureaucracy, laws that could strengthen the independence and honesty of our “in-Justices”, laws that could invest in our country and could secure to our people the promise blessings of democracy which are a life worth living, liberty worth having, happiness within everyone's grasp.

Now, is our time to march forward as one. I seek your wisdom and I trust in your commitment to the common good, to the swift actions you will take against me. And finally, I challenge myself, and our government to live up to the highest standards of honesty and competence in the public service.

Noong araw, gumigising ako at kumakayod hindi lang para sa inyo, kundi higit sa lahat ay para sa akin. Mula ngayon, gagawin ko na ang tama at magaling sa ikakagaling ng lahat at hindi lang bilang pagmamagaling. I shall now make good and I shall now do good for the good of all and not just for the cameras. Palibhasa, tapos na ang aming fishing for sympathy and public attention na hindi naman gumana. Asahan ninyong wala ng life-threatening disease o sakit akong idadahilan, wala ng death threat or conspiracy plot na “Put The Little Girl to Sleep” ang aming babanggitin at hindi na magpupumilit na makapunta ng ibang bansa.

Babangon na ako araw-araw upang tiyakin na tutuparin ko ang aking tungkulin bilang katuwang ninyo ng walang halong kasinungalingan at pagkukubli. Gagamitin ko ang mga araw ko upang tulungan ang ating gobyerno na itaguyod ang katotohanan at katarungan. Iniaalay ko ang aking nalalabing buhay at yaman sa pagtupad sa katungkulang akin ngayong itinatakda.

Tupdin ninyo na ako ay mapatawad at gagampanan ko naman ang aking pangako. United, how can we lose? Together, we will prevail! Magsama-sama tayong magsikap upang mabuwag ang aking dating mga kakampi at kasabwat. Magkasama tayong magtatagumpay. Mabuhay ang Pilipinas. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.”