The Philippine Online Chronicles

Delivering on her promise to reveal today her plans for 2010, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced that she will run for a Congressional seat in Pampanga.

"I will file," inquirer.net quoted Arroyo as telling government-run radio station dzRB. "For now, the best place for me to champion the things I love is in Congress," she said.

Arroyo added that she will run for Congress "in order to serve the hardworking people" of her home province, GMAnews.tv reported.

Atty. Romulo Macalintal, Arroyo's official political spokesperson, said in a press conference that Arroyo may or may not personally file her Certificate of Candidacy (CoC)--her allies may "probably" file it for her.

The Commission on Elections set midnight of December 1 as the deadline for filing of CoCs.

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(Recording of Arroyo's interview with dzRB to follow.)

Points of interest in Arroyo's speech:

• Arroyo will not step down before her term ends. She will spend only a small amount of time campaigning.
• She is not seeking a Congressional position to earn immunity, as "the only Congressional immunity is from libel suits."
• One day, Arroyo may go back to teaching. Her concerns include climate change, education and the cause of women.
• She dismissed as "hypothetical" charges that she will bide her time until charter change, when she will declare herself Prime Minister.
• Arroyo condemned the killings in Maguindanao. She will attend some of the wakes of the victims to express her personal outrage. "The press is one of the vital institutions of a democratic society."