Mas wais si Gloria kay Lumen

This little girl is very smart.

-- Sen. Joker Arroyo on Gloria Arroyo

Because the senate is firm on its stand to cut by P64 billion the Palace's proposed budget of P1.056 trillion, Gloria Arroyo, the Philippine president with questionable legitimacy, also stood her ground and retorted that she might veto the Senate's approved budget.

In an interview over DZMM, Arroyo said: Kung yung budget ay talagang masyadong masisira, bagama’t ako ay naniniwala na magiging responsible ang mga mambabatas…wala akong magagawa. Baka kailangan nga na i-veto dahil masusing pinag-aralan ang panukalang budget at walang bisa ang budget na tatanggalin ang mga makahulugang programa para sa tao.

It should be noted that among the major budget items removed by the Senate include the Kilos Asenso Fund and the Kalayaan Barangay Fund, the PCGG budget, and the National Printing Office budget. The first two funds were removed because these are among the major source of perks for the president with questionable legitimacy. Arroyo, though, claims that the Kilos Asenso Fund is to be used as her office's counterpart fund for agribusiness and micro-finance projects of local government units while the Kalayaan Barangay Fund is aimed to finance government services in far-flung areas to dissuade barangay residents from joining rebel groups like the CPP-NPA.

Meanwhile, the PCGG and the NPO budgets were also removed for the failure of the said agencies to clear major issues involving its operations. PCGG, for instance, has been accused of corruption particularly on the alleged looting of the Philcomsat and the planned compromise settlement with the Marcoses with regards the latter's ill-gotten wealth. (See also: PCGG got zero budget). The NPO budget was also removed for the office's failure to explain why it printed materials for the Cha-cha despite the lack of legislative order to do so and despite the fact that the alleged beneficiary is a non-government entity.

But because of the cut, Arroyo cried, “Ouch!” and warned that she will veto the 2006 legislated budget and will just try to use the 2005 re-enacted budget. The problem, according to Joker, last year's budget is also full of perks the discretion of which is under the president with questionable legitimacy's. And it is her leverage. Hence, whether or not the Senate gives in to her wishes, she is still at the win-win situation.

Mukhang mas wais si Gloria kay Lumen. Ba't di na lang kaya si Gloria ang pumalit kay Lumen o kaya kay Aling Obang?