|
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Libre: Winning Round 1
By Mel Libre
Seriously Now
President seems to be on cloud nine with the favorable points she has been getting the past few weeks. The political storm that lashed Malacañang earlier could have washed the President away, but fate was kind to her.
At the House of Representatives, the administration proved that the pro-impeachment solons could only bark but not bite.
Even with former president Corazon Aquino and actress Susan Roces leading the move to pressure Arroyo out of office, the opposition could not bring people out to the streets for massive protest actions the likes of Edsa 1 and 2.
The Church, through the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, has remained non-committal to calls for Arroyo’s resignation.
And the opposition's effort to win Vice President Noli de Castro to their side to weaken Malacañang has fizzled out.
The arrest in the United States of Michael Ray Aquino, an associate of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, for stealing classified information about Philippine politicians and sending these to a "former national-level public official," a "current high-level public official" and a "second high-level public official," supports the theory that the opposition is orchestrating the efforts to oust the President. This is a blow to parties hyper-critical of her.
Meanwhile, the President demonstrated her hold to power by doing official chores in the US that was highlighted by her presiding the high-level UN Security Council meeting in New York.
Her delegating to de Castro the running of government in her absence was a stroke of political genius. It tells the opposition to forget about winning de Castro to their side.
The President must have given her lieutenants the "go-signal" to announce that government will be tolerant of protest rallies, as threats for civil disobedience have become dimmer.
The opposition must accept its defeat in this round. It can only hope that one year hence, the climate and circumstances will favor another impeachment try.
But while officially the impeachment complaint is dead, it does not mean Arroyo is out of danger. Her presidency has been wounded and her enemies may continue to undermine her administration. Also, independent surveys report her plummeting popularity. If her acceptance level continues to slide, the one-year respite may just be shortened.
Other than returning favors to those who supported her through the debate on the impeachment complaints, President Arroyo must come up with substantive reforms that should have immediate impact on the general populace. If she fails, then a knockout punch may await her in Round 2.
(September 17, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
