WELL that’s how it certainly looks with former President now Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo malingering in hospital arrest – despite the Veterans Memorial Medical Center statement it’s ready to turn over custody of her as soon as ordered by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court.

Unabashedly feeling photogenic in orthopedic neck braces, the Pampanga solon showed time and verve enough to compose her “It’s the economy, student” tweak of President Benigno Aquino III’s handling of the country’s economic affairs.

Yes, even as GMA naughtily reminded the President that he had set in her economics class at the Ateneo de Manila University for his college degree. Alright, in Bill Clinton’s authentic “It’s the economy, stupid” winning presidential campaign slogan, indeed it’s the bread-and-butter issue for P-Noy.

But then again, the economy though unwell for sure just might not be even half as sick as the academician Gloria would like us to believe. Resident kibitzer Jose adds:“…   though GMA, on the other hand, would prefer that we discern her to be sicker than she actually, medically, has been.”

I really would rather acknowledge the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp.’s forecast that the Philippine economy “stands a good chance of getting another upgrade in its credit rating over the next six to 12 months due to the country’s capacity to service its debts.”

Arjuna Mahendran, HSBC’s managing director and investment strategist for Asia, noted the country’s international reserves placed at $76 billion by the Bangko Sentral, enough to reckon with imports and debt payments for 11 months.

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad sounds the drumbeat from the Palace about a lower deficit than the P140 billion to P170 billion in 2011. The National Economic and Development Authority’s Assistant Director General Ruperto Majuca crows about a five-percent to to six-percent gross domestic product growth as “manageable.”

BSP Gov. Amando Tetangco sees borrowing and spending at a faster clip on the back of lower interest set by the Monetary Board. Basking in continuing benign inflation, Tetangco said any price pressure to result from high demand should cause no breach of the inflation limit.

Inflation rate estimates posted 3.1 percent and 3.4 percent for 2012 and 2013, respectively. Regarding spillover economic woes from the euro- zone countries, Majuca said “increased infrastructure and social protection expenditures will counter expected negative impact from abroad”.

Dr. Benjamin Diokno, economist of the University of the Philippines, agreed that the “best hope” for growth is accelerated public spending for capital projects.

Alright, back to GMA, poll-fraud suspect in non-bailable detention, and her “It’s the economy, student” mantra.

With a little synergy by the student of Joey Salceda’s “lucky bitch” harnessing the relevant competencies of unsolicited advisers and banking/finance experts in government – how farfetched could it possibly be for the President to tell detained predecessor GMA to focus on her trial and tribulation?