MANILA - Presidential deputy spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo has lost count of how many times President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has visited Pampanga this year.

When asked about the number, Fajardo said she has stopped counting.

The Palace dismissed anew speculations that President Arroyo's visits are a prelude to her congressional run in Pampanga in 2010.

Fajardo said politics is never discussed during her visits.

She said the president merely wants to ensure that before her term ends, her constituents would have been served through her projects.
This does not mean other districts are being neglected, she added.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde was more poetic saying, "Kagaya ng punong kahoy, nagsisimula ito sa butil, sumisibol, umuusbong ang mga dahon, pero ang lakas ay babalik at babalik sa mga ugat."
 
Fajardo said the President feels at home, loved, and welcomed in Pampanga because of the warm reception she receives there.

Unofficial counts show President Arroyo has visited her hometown at least 25 times. -- report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News