The D Spot

Schucks the guts…, I mean, the NERVES! (expression mine, coz I can’t help it).

Be careful what you pray for.

President Arroyo was put on the spot yesterday after her press secretary openly sought divine help for her to continue serving the country beyond the end of her term in 2010.

At the start of the Cabinet meeting, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza prayed: “Bless the President so we will have forbearance, good health, and tolerance to lead this nation up to 2010 and perhaps, who knows, even beyond.”

Mrs. Arroyo, with her head bowed in prayer, covered her face with her hands and said under her breath, “Oh my God.” But the microphone in front of her caught her words, and she gave an embarrassed smile as she raised her head.

Dureza also prayed for Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, who recently celebrated his birthday, and for newly installed Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

‘Off the record’

After the prayer, the President told TV crews and photographers that the “prayer was off the record.”

“Why don’t we get everybody seated. Please, that’s enough,” she told the Cabinet officials who were laughing and ribbing Dureza for his prayer.

The press secretary later reportedly appealed to the cameramen not to release the video recording of the event.

Mrs. Arroyo is widely believed to be harboring plans to extend her term through amendments to the Constitution. Her critics said she is preoccupied with wooing lawmakers with cash and other perks as part of her plan to rule beyond 2010.

At a news briefing in the afternoon, Dureza claimed the President’s reaction, as well as those of the Cabinet members, drowned out the last part of his prayer, which was for Mrs. Arroyo to serve even in her private and personal capacity after her term ends.

“I’m sure the Lord has a sense of humor and my prayer was in that context. I said we hope the President will have the tolerance to serve the nation or even beyond but what was drowned off was the statement beyond 2010 in her personal capacity. Everybody thought it was a slip,” he claimed.

He said he later explained to Mrs. Arroyo who “had a good laugh.”

“We were bantering and we took it, in a sense, as a light prayer but some people did not get it right, maybe they did not have a sense of humor,” he said. “I was surprised why there was a Charter change spin but there was no need to milk the issue and create a spin.”

Quoted in full from:  Philstar.com

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