8/14/2019 Thesun 2009-07-28 Page08 Arroyo Hits Back at Critics Defends Record

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Family: Aquino’scancer has spreadMANILA: Former Philippine presidentCorazon Aquino’s cancer has spreadfrom her colon to her liver and hercondition is so delicate that she cannotundergo chemotherapy, her son said yesterday.

“Initially it was in the colon but nowit has spread to the liver,” said Aquino’sson, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr.

“Her weakened condition does notallow chemotherapy,” he said, addingthat the 76-year-old former leader, whohas been in hospital for a month, wasbeing fed intravenously. – AFP

 

Woman rescued fromoverly playful dolphinWELLINGTON: A woman swimmer

in New Zealand had to be rescuedfrom the sea after an excessivelyplayful dolphin refused to let herreturn to shore, a report said yes-terday.

The exhausted woman wasclinging to a buoy offshore from thebeach at Mahia on the east coastof the North Island as the dolphinswam around her and preventedher returning to shore, the GisborneHerald reported.

But the woman, who did notwant to be named, said there wasnothing sinister about the behaviourof the dolphin named Moko, whichhas become a local celebrity sincetaking up residence at the beachmore than two years ago. – AFP

 

Death toll rises to25 in Japan mudslidesTOKYO: The death toll has risen to atleast 25 in southern Japan after tor-rential rain last week caused a seriesof mudslides and floods, media reportssaid yesterday. Fifteen people died in

briefs

newswithout borders

8 theSun | TUESDAY JULY 28 2009

Arroyo hits back at critics, defends recordMANILA:A combative Philip-pine President Gloria Arroyoyesterday lashed out at hercritics in her last state-of-the-nation address to Congress,saying she had no desire toextend her term.

She also defended herlegacy, including unpopulareconomic reforms which havehelped the country weatherthe global financial crisis that has severely affected otherAsian countries.

“I never expressed the de-sire to extend myself beyondmy term,” Arroyo said in aspeech boycotted by manyopposition lawmakers.

Outside Congress, thou-sands of anti-government protesters marched in drivingrain.

“Many of those who accuseme of (this) tried to cling like

nails to their posts,” Arroyosaid, lashing out at critics whoaccuse her of seeking to stayin office after her second termends next year.

The president, how-ever, did not explicitly say shewould not attempt to revisethe constitution to allow herto extend her term.

Arroyo also attacked thosewho accuse her of graft, sayingthere was no proof of this andthat many of her accusers hadthemselves been convicted of corruption.

“Many of those who ac-cuse me of (corruption) havelifestyles and spending habitsthat make them walking proof of that crime,” she said.

“Those who live in glass

houses should cast no stones.Those who should be in jailshould not threaten it, espe-cially if they have been there,”Arroyo said to applause.

The comment was a refer-

ence to her deposed predeces-sor, Joseph Estrada, now oneof the opposition’s leaders.

In 2001, then vice-presi-dent Arroyo took office afterEstrada was toppled in an

uprising. She was elected to asecond term in 2004 despiteallegations of cheating andhas since survived severalcoup plots and impeachment attempts.

Estrada, who now hopesto run for another term, wasconvicted of corruption in2007 but Arroyo, in an appar-ent concession to his support-ers, allowed him out of jailearly.

Arroyo also listed herachievements, particularly inthe economic sphere, withthe Philippines recording33 successive quarters of economic growth despite theglobal financial crisis.

Earlier yesterday, thou-sands of protesters marchedon the Congress to protest against Arroyo, accusing herof graft and election fraud and

 vowing to oppose any effort tolet her retain power.

Riot police erected barbedwire barricades and blockedaccess roads with trucks andshipping containers to stop

30,000 flag-waving protestersfrom reaching Congress.However, the rally was

largely peaceful. Despite theheavy rain a giant effigy of Arroyo was burned as pro-testers charged that her alliesin Congress were seeking tokeep her in office.

Arroyo has seen her ap-proval ratings fall to recordlows due to the allegations of election fraud and corruptionbut she still enjoys the support of a majority of Congress.– AFP

China protests as Uighur

leader plans Japan visitTOKYO: The exiled leaderof China’s Uighur minority,Rebiya Kadeer, will visit Japanthis week, her supporters saidyesterday, prompting outragefrom China which reportedlylabelled her a “criminal”.

Rebiya, the US-based headof the World Uighur Con-gress, plans to meet membersof Japan’s ruling LiberalDemocratic Party during herfive-day visit from today andto give a press conferencetomorrow.

The announcement wasmade by officials at the Uighurgroup’s Japanese chapter,which said that Rebiya plansto call for support for themainly Muslim Uighur minor-ity following deadly clashes in

China’s region of Xinjiang.China’s ambassador to Ja-

pan, Cui Tiankai, voiced Bei- jing’s anger over the planned  visit in an interview withKyodo News and other media,and hinted that ties betweenthe two nations could be hurt.

“She is a criminal,” he wasquoted as saying by Kyodo,reportedly likening her to thecult leader behind a 1995sarin gas attack on Tokyo’ssubways.

“How would the people of Japan feel if a violent crimeoccurred in Japan and itsmastermind is invited by athird country?”

He added: “We must prevent important mattersthat should be worked on

together between Japan andChina from being disturbed bya criminal or attention to ourcommon interests from beingdiverted.”

Beijing has accused Rebiyaof masterminding the violent unrest between Uighurs andHan Chinese that broke out in the northwestern Xinjiangregion on July 5, which left more than 190 people dead.She denies the allegation.

Rebiya spent six years in aChinese prison before beingreleased under US pressurein 2005. Japan’s government has said the deaths caused bythe unrest in Xinjiang were“very regrettable” and calledfor a peaceful resolution of thesituation. – AFP

Man claims British link to tortureLONDON: A Briton, who claimsto have been tortured in theUnited Arab Emirates, said hehas fresh evidence showingthat British security serviceswere involved, a newspapersaid yesterday.

Alam Ghafoor claims hewas dragged out of a restau-rant during a business trip withhis business partner to Dubai,detained and tortured followingthe London bombings in July2005, the Guardian said.

Ghafoor claims he and his

business partner were deprivedof sleep, subjected to stresspositions and told they wouldbe killed and fed to dogs.

While in detention, Ghafoor,

from Huddersfield in northernEngland, said he was showna photograph and told that heresembled one of the Londonsuicide bombers.

The Guardian said Ghafoorhad obtained copies of e-mailsshowing that British consularofficials asked for permissionfrom Britain’s security services,not from officials in the UAE, tovisit him while in detention.

It is unclear from whompermission was sought, or whothey worked for, as the e-mails

were blacked out before beinghanded over, the newspapersaid.

Ghafoor first made hisclaims of torture to the media

after his release without chargeon July 30, 2005.

The Foreign Office saidneither Ghafoor nor his busi-ness partner were detained atBritain’s request.

The claims come afterBritish police said earlier thismonth they had launched acriminal probe into allegationsmade by former GuantanamoBay detainee Binyam Mohamedthat he was tortured with thehelp of British agents.

London’s Metropolitan Po-

lice Service was asked by theattorney-general, to investigateallegations surrounding theEthiopian-born British resident.– AFP

Iranplungesinto freshpolitical

 turmoilpg 10

Yamaguchi prefecture in mudslidesthat engulfed an old people’s homeand more than 10 cars on the street. Abody of a 76-year-old woman was re-

covered from under the mud yesterday.In Fukuoka prefecture, a 5-year-old boywas found dead yesterday after beingwashed away by a flooded river. Earlierin the day, two bodies were recoveredfrom a car that was buried in a land-slide, Jiji Press said.– dpa

 

Palin steps downas Alaska governorWASHINGTON: Republican SarahPalin stepped down as governor of Alaska on Sunday, vowing in a fare-well address to continue fightingfor Alaskans but giving no hint onwhether she will seek an electiveoffice again.

The 2008 losing vice-presidentialnominee transferred power to newgovernor Sean Parnell during aceremony in Fairbanks, Alaska, leav-ing office with her political future

clouded by ethics probes, legal billsand dwindling popularity.

Palin’s surprise announcementon July 3 that she would step downwith 18 months to go in her termtouched off speculation about hernext move. – Reuters

Police raid migrationagent’s officeSYDNEY: Police yesterday raided theSydney office of a migration agent theybelieve is exploiting young Indians whocome to study in Australia.

The raid followed claims on nationaltelevision that a young Indian reporterposing as a student to expose scamshad been assaulted in Sydney. Nationalbroadcaster ABC said it had evidencethat agents were offering to helpstudents cheat in English-language-proficiency tests and provide fake

work experience certificates.Rallies were held this year in Sydney

and Melbourne to protest muggingsand assaults on Indians that authoritiesdenied were racially motivated. – dpa

Protesters with an effigy of Arroyo march towards Congressin Manila yesterday

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