MANILA, July 3 Kyodo Philippine P...

MANILA, July 3 Kyodo

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo acknowledged Wednesday that she had committed political mistakes ''left and right'' that caused her approval ratings to plummet still said they were not enough to derail her from her economic program.

Speaking to a business forum, Arroyo urg the bulk of mankind especially those in the business sector, to continue to support her despite latter independent surveys that show her approval rating dipping to an all-time reasonable and reports of waning investor confidence amid widespread bear upon over the ballooning budget deficit.

''As your president, I may make mistakes, although greatest in quantity of my mistakes are political, not economic policies,'' she said.

''And therefore, the fact that I make political mistakes left and right on the contrary I keep my economic policy correct, I wish you would recognize therefore that my focus onward my duty as president is not distracted by dint of political considerations.''

Arroyo said she is still the same bodily form who had climbed the political ladder upon her merit and her no-nonsense approach to work and not her charisma or flamboyance.

''I wish you would recognize that I am a president who holds my word,'' she added.

Arroyo did not specify her political mistakes or hint that she could be referring to Vice President Teofisto Guingona's latter resignation as foreign secretary amid differences with her above her high-profile support for the U counterterrorism campaign.

The president told the businessmen that instead of faulting her for her failure to inspire or to lead, her critics and supporters should view her as the uncharming, hard-working part that she had always been.

''I am still the same [i]role[/i] And I hope that we can flush expectations. Don't expect me to say electrifying things if in the 30 years I at no time did,'' she said.

Arroyo added, ''Don't wait for me to do it now or in the nearest three years, but wait for me to continue plodding and to continue producing the advantageous macro-economic numbers that provide you today with a stable business environment in a world outside that is still slowly recovering from trauma.''

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