Three city mayors from Negros Occidental joined other local officials from around the country in Malacañang yesterday to air their support for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to sustain the momentum of the country's economic growth.

The country has reached unprecedented economic growth under the Arroyo administration that has even trickled down to Bacolod City , Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said.

“ Bacolod had its share of dramatic economic progress in the past three years, we do not want to waste this momentum,” he said.

Let the judicial system take its natural course on the charges of alleged corruption, Leonardia said.

Silay Mayor Jose Montelibano said he is supporting the president, especially her economic policies, that have caused the country's GDP to grow.

He said complaints of corruption should be dealt with in the proper courts, and not through calls for the ouster of the president in the streets.

“We should follow the rule of law,” Escalante Mayor Melecio Yap said.

The president only has two and a half years before her term ends, why don't we just wait for that so we do not break the momentum of our current economic upsurge, he said.

Arroyo, in her message at the Philippine Economic Briefing at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel yesterday, said that in spite of successfully keeping the nation on the path of progress, she recognized that there is much more that needs to be accomplished to finally uplift the lives of the poor.

She said 2007 was the best year for the Philippine economy in over 30 years.

“Economic growth was 7.3 percent; a million new jobs were created; unemployment is down, poverty is down, the stock market is up; the peso is at its highest level in eight years,” the President said.

She added that investments have come pouring in and as a result of renewed confidence of the international business community, the country's deficit in 2007 was only P9.4 billion, the lowest in 10 years, as against the target of P63 billion and revenues are up.

“This new maturity in our economy has brought new confidence that forms the foundation of sustained economic growth moving forward. We are at a tipping point. I am confident the Philippines will tip forward in pursuit of reaching the status of a First World nation within a generation,” the President said.

The President, in her speech, called for an end to "partisan wrangling," especially among hopefuls in the 2010 presidential elections.

“We take the ZTE issue very seriously. I moved quickly to cancel the project as soon as I could, after proper consultation with the government of China , which is after all, our largest export market,” she said.

“We call on our political leaders of all parties and preferences to look to our future and ensure stability for the sake of the nation. Let us put aside partisan wrangling as candidates jockey for the presidency,” the President said.

The President also called on the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice to ensure "transparency" in their investigations on the alleged scandal involving the $329 million contract forged between the government and China 's ZTE Corp.

She cancelled the contract last year amid allegations of overpricing.

"We want to fight corruption," she said as she scored those with political ambition for putting "easy rhetoric over lazy charges" and placing personal ambition ahead of national progress.

"This type of charges emerged even in previous administrations as part of our less than impressive political culture. I hope this set of charges will not be a political football," she said.*CPG

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