President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has formally announced in the government-owned radio station dzRB this Monday that she will vie for the Congressional seat in the second district of Pampanga for the coming 2010 election. The second district of Pampanga is composed of the municipalities of Floridablanca, Guagua, Porac, Santa Rita, Sasmuan and Lubao.

In a recorded interview aired over the station, Arroyo said: “Gaya ng alam ninyo, hiniling rin ako ng mga mamayan ng aking tahanang distrito sa Pampanga na manatili sa buhay publiko (As you all know, the residents of Pampanga’s second district have urged me to remain in public service).”

“After much soul-searching, I have decided to respond affirmatively to their call. To that end, I will file my (certificate of) candidacy for Congress in order to serve the hardworking people of my home province,” she said. Mrs. Arroyo added: “I am not ready to step down completely from public service.”

On her formal statement Pres. Arroyo said, “I have given careful consideration to a number of options that I could pursue upon leaving office, but I have come to the conclusion that I can best serve the nation from a seat in Congress should I be elected. This campaign and a seat in Congress will satisfy the call of my constituents and my own desire for public service.”

Candidates for 2010 election has still until Tuesday midnight to file their certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Mrs. Arroyo’s duly-authorized representative will file her CoC Tuesday in San Fernando, Pampanga, according to her official political spokesperson Romulo Macalintal. The representative will be accompanied by Pampanga mayors who support her congressional bid.

Three weeks ago, Arroyo’s half-sister Cielo Macapagal-Salgado appealed to her to give other candidates a chance to run for the same post.

“Nakasiyam na taon na siya, di ba? You have reached the highest post na binigay sa iyo ng mamamayan. Binigyan ka na ng pagkakataon, bigyan mo naman ng pagkakataon ‘yung iba,” Salgado said in an interview.
Macapagal-Salgado said she has been eyeing Pampanga’s 2nd district congressional post for some time but had to give way to her younger brother Arturo, who in turn had to give way to Mikey.

Sociology professor and civil society leader Randy David, who had earlier expressed that he might consider going against Mrs. Arroyo if she runs for the post, said Monday that he has decided to heed his family’s request for him not to go into politics.

David said it was difficult to contest Mrs. Arroyo in Pampanga, saying, “Ang kalaban mo rito higante, eh. Ito yung amo ng lahat ng mga warlord (You will be going against a giant; the boss of warlords).”

Arroyo’s closeness to the Ampatuans, the most powerful political clan in Maguindanao province, has been criticized since the gruesome massacre in Ampatuan town that resulted in the deaths of at least 57 people, including around 30 journalists.

David maintained that he was against Mrs. Arroyo’s possible entry into the race, saying it was an insult to the country‚Äôs democratic institutions.

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