Arroyo inaugural speech: Excerpts

The new leader pledged a clean start

In her inaugural speech as president of the Philippines, Gloria Arroyo called for improved moral standards in public life and a new style of politics. She paid tribute to "people power" and singled out for praise Corazon Aquino, who came to power in the 1986 uprising that overthrew Ferdinand Marcos.

I accept the privilege and responsibility to act as president of the republic...

The task is formidable, and so I pray that we will all be one, one in our priorities, one in our values and commitments...

People power and the oneness of will and vision has made a new beginning possible.

We must improve moral standards in government and society in order to provide a strong foundation for good governance

Gloria Arroyo

Pride will reign supreme as Filipinos recall the heroism and sacrifices and prayers of Jaime Cardinal Sin, Presidents Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos, Chief Justice Davide, the legislators who fought the good fight in Congress, the leaders whose principles were beyond negotiation, the witnesses in the impeachment trial who did not count the cost of testifying, the youths and students who walked out of their classrooms to be at the Edsa shrine, the generals in the armed forces and the Philippine National Police, and the Filipino out there who stood up to be counted in these troubled times...

Moral renewal

On many occasions, I have given my views on what our programme of government should be...

They converge on four core beliefs:

One, we must be bold in our national ambitions so that our challenge must be that within this decade, we will win the fight against poverty.

Two, we must improve moral standards in government and society in order to provide a strong foundation for good governance.

Three, we must change the character of our politics in order to create fertile ground for true reforms...

Traditional politics is the politics of the status quo; it is a structural part of the problem.

Gloria Arroyo

Finally, I believe in leadership by example...

Out with the old

Politics and political power, as traditionally practised and used in the Philippines, are among the roots of the social and economic inequities that characterize our national problems...

Traditional politics is the politics of the status quo; it is a structural part of the problem.

We need to promote a new politics of true party programmes and platforms...

This new politics is the politics of genuine reform; it is a structural part of the solution...

To ensure that our gains are not dissipated through corruption, we must improve moral standards.

As we do so, we create fertile ground for good governance based on a sound moral foundation, a philosophy of transparency and an ethic of effective implementation...

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