Embattled Philippine President Gloria Arroyo announced yesterday that her controversial husband is going into foreign exile but indicated that she would tough it out against opposition moves to oust her over alleged election cheating.
Arroyo told a business conference she was pushing through with her reform agenda amid a "looming oil crisis" after getting Congress to pass painful revenue measures.
Arroyo is saddled with an impeachment complaint in Congress and rock-bottom public approval ratings after she publicly admitted on Monday to improperly calling an election official during vote-counting in last year's presidential election.
"My husband has volunteered to go abroad," she said without saying where Jose Miguel Arroyo -- a lawyer who stopped practising when his wife came to power to avoid conflicts of interest -- would be relocating or how long he would be staying abroad.
Arroyo said that even her husband's civil works had been the subject of attacks by her political enemies, "who have been trying to distract me from fulfilling my reform agenda as president."
Jose Miguel Arroyo has been a lightning rod for opposition attacks against the president. Media reports have alleged that he has influenced several government transactions and appointments.
Along with the president's brother-in-law Ignacio Arroyo and presidential son Juan Miguel Arroyo, Jose Miguel Arroyo has also been accused of taking payoffs from illegal lottery operators. They all reject the allegations.
Juan Miguel Arroyo took indefinite leave earlier this month from his seat in the House of Representatives amid the payoffs allegations, which are being investigated by the House.
Arroyo said "this has been a subject of considerable pain for me and for the members of my family."
She said her husband "will leave to remove these distractions and doubts from our people," comparing him to a "Caesar's wife" who must not only be incorruptible but also appear to be incorruptible.
The president's husband will "remove himself from any situation that will cast doubt on my presidency," the Filipino leader added.
"I'm grateful to my husband for his sacrifice. My family will miss him terribly," the president added.
Arroyo, a US-educated economist who was a classmate of former US president Bill Clinton at Georgetown University, said strong economic growth despite the political squabbling showed the Philippines was still doing well.
"The fact that we are making this progress despite the noise of Philippine politics is clear evidence that our macroeconomic fundamentals are sound and that our foundations for recovery are solid," she said.
Some businessmen praised Arroyo's action and expressed hope that the country's attention would now turn to economic matters.
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