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Friday, June 10, 2005
Volatile brew of scandals in RP so far lacks spark (4:12 p.m.)
MANILA -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is facing coup rumors yet again while dealing with a volatile brew of opposition-fed scandals that so far have lacked the spark to set off big anti-government protests.
The catalysts for the revolutions that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 and Arroyo's predecessor, Joseph Estrada, in 2001 were masses of people.
But while people clearly are unhappy today--the most recent poll said 59 percent of the respondents were dissatisfied with Arroyo's performance--they don't appear to be disgruntled enough to hit the streets in large numbers.
Arroyo has been hit recently with a barrage of body shots--accusations that she fixed last year's presidential election and that her family has taken bribes from illegal gambling lords--at a time when the economy is suffering from higher oil prices and awaits the pain of a value-added tax.
The president has been on a charm offensive, granting a number of media interviews in which she generally has come off as confident and in control, focused on starting "Phase 2" of her economic reform program while dismissing the constant coup rumors as a "very sad part of Philippine politics."
"I will not allow those seeking to topple me to succeed, and I will not allow them to undermine or weaken my ability to govern," Arroyo, who has five years left in her six-year term, said in a radio interview Thursday.
But things are serious enough for police to go on red alert and officials to warn of destabilization plots and attempts to recruit troops and police for a takeover try.
The military chief of staff, the heads of the major military branches, the police chief and key congressional leaders have all made sojourns to the presidential palace since Sunday to publicly state their support for Arroyo.
The "people power" revolution that ousted Marcos was widely hailed and called a catalyst for other populist overthrows around the world. Similar praise for the ouster of Estrada was mixed with concerns that "people power" was getting out of hand.
Less than four months later, a group of poor Estrada backers unsuccessfully tried to storm the presidential palace. In July 2003, a group of soldiers took over a residential tower and shopping mall in Manila's financial district, only to give up quickly when masses of people they apparently expected to support them failed to materialize.
Arroyo said both instances were coup attempts, and she has steadfastly shrugged off persistent coup rumors since then.
At least 12 people were injured, including four officers, when up to 3,000 leftist protesters clashed with police during an anti-Arroyo protest Friday. That was a far cry from the hundreds of thousands who turned out against Marcos and Estrada.
The stock market seems to think the worst could be over, rallying to finish 2.1 percent higher Friday after falling 7.4 percent over the past three sessions amid concerns over political stability.
Still, trading was light with at least one more hurdle to clear. Police and the military have warned that unauthorized rallies will not be allowed as people turn out over the weekend for the Independence Day holiday. The opposition likely will be looking for a way to turn the holiday mood sour. (AP) |
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