'Politics may derail Philippine growth'<\/p>\n
MANILA (Agencies): President Fidel Ramos said yesterday early
\ncampaigning for the presidential election would derail the
\nPhilippines' economic momentum.<\/p>\n
He expressed concern that campaigning by a dozen people
\ngirding up to run in the May 1998 election and succeed him was
\ndelaying passage of vital legislation intended to sustain the
\ncountry's economic growth.<\/p>\n
Lower House Speaker Jose de Venecia, a senior leader of Ramos'
\nLakas party, joined the presidential scramble yesterday by
\nlaunching his candidacy, following in the footsteps of defense
\nchief Renato de Villa and Ramos' sister Leticia Ramos Shahani.<\/p>\n
"I have said it over and over again, premature politicking and
\nearly focus on campaigning ... will detract from our momentum,"
\nRamos during a provincial visit to Tuguegarao, north of Manila.<\/p>\n
Still pending in Congress is a tax measure intended to widen
\ncoverage of income tax payers and restructure corporate taxes.<\/p>\n
Officials have projected the country's economy to grow at
\nbetween 7 percent and 8 percent this year from last year's 6.8
\npercent.<\/p>\n
The Lakas aspirants, including de Venecia, de Villa, Shahani
\nand Finance Secretary Roberto de Ocampo, have languished at the
\nbottom of popularity polls, well behind opposition aspirants.<\/p>\n
Vice President Joseph Estrada, a former movie actor popular
\namong the masses but distrusted by big business, has consistently
\ntopped the surveys.<\/p>\n
The dismal showing by Ramos's party colleagues in the surveys
\nhas encouraged speculation that Ramos might engineer a
\nconstitutional change to allow him to run for reelection.<\/p>\n
Ramos has boiled down to its culinary essentials the stuff by
\nwhich successful Philippine presidents are made: never eat like a
\npig and work eight days a week.<\/p>\n
Asked for advice to his successor, the 69-year-old former
\ngeneral had four tips: "Do not eat too much; do not drink liquors
\nmore than what the doctors prescribe; avoid high cholesterol
\nfoods such as lechon (roast suckling pig); and work eight days a
\nweek."<\/p>\n
The first three were the exact same advice he was given by his
\ndoctors in December after Ramos underwent surgery for a
\ncholesterol-clogged carotid artery.<\/p>\n
However, they also advised the certified workaholic to ease up
\nand to find other forms of physical activity besides golf.<\/p>",
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