Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (born April 5, 1947) is a politician and the current (14th) president of the Philippines. She is the daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal. She was the country's first ever female vice president in 1998.

Presidency: second term (2004–present)

Congress proclaimed Arroyo the winner of the election on June 24, 2004, more than a month after election day. This makes her only the fourth Philippine president to be re-elected and only the third to a second term (Presidents Quirino and Garcia, serving the unexpired terms of their predecessors, were elected to the presidency in 1949 and 1957 respectively; Presidents Quezon and Marcos were reelected to second terms in 1941 and 1969 respectively).

Related Topics:
June 24 - 2004

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She took her oath of office on June 30, 2004, on the island of Cebu, the first Philippine President to be inaugurated there. This was done in gratitude for the support given to her by the people of Cebu during the election. In a break with tradition, she delivered her inaugural address in Manila before departing for Cebu for her inauguration.

Related Topics:
June 30 - 2004 - Cebu

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The De Castro–Soliman Issue

Issues of political patronage immediately began to swirl around the president when rumors that VP-elect Noli de Castro would be taking over as Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, replacing incumbent Secretary Dinky Soliman. Soliman, an ardent supporter of President Arroyo during the campaign in the urban poor areas, announced in a tearful press conference that she felt betrayed. Several weeks later, De Castro formally said he would not accept the DSWD post.

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Angelo de la Cruz Episode

On July 20, 2004, President Arroyo ordered that the small contingent in Iraq sent by the Philippines be withdrawn immediately after Angelo de la Cruz was taken hostage by the terrorist group headed by Jordanian-born terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The Filipino contingent was scheduled to withdraw from Iraq in August of that year but the President withdrew earlier than expected, acceding to the kidnappers' demands in order to save the life of De La Cruz. President Arroyo said "…when it comes to showing off to the world, and the life of a Filipino citizen, the life of our citizens come first." Arroyo faced much international criticism for this, especially from the United States and members of the coalition in Iraq. Among her critics was Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who commented, "It is not showing off when you continue to fight in Iraq after a terrorist incident against your country. It is an international obligation that you are expected to fulfil." Arroyo later countered this statement by saying that the U.S. government and others in the coalition in Iraq "held no regard for the lives of their citizens" .

Related Topics:
July 20 - 2004 - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi - John Howard

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Election rigging scandal

See main article, Philippine electoral crisis, 2005

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On June 10, Samuel Ong, a former deputy director of the country's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) claimed to have a set of original audio tapes of a wiretapped conversation between President Arroyo and an official of the Commission on Elections. The contents of the tape allegedly proved, according to Ong, that the 2004 national election was rigged by Arroyo and that she is not the real winner of the election. (see complete transcript of alleged conversations). On June 27, Arroyo admitted to inappropriately speaking to a Comelec official, but denied influencing the outcome of the election.

Related Topics:
June 10 - Samuel Ong - Commission on Elections - 2004 national election - June 27

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On July 8, ten appointed cabinet officials filed their resignation and asked the president to do the same. Later that day, the Liberal Party and former president Corazon Aquino, both former allies of the president, joined calls for her resignation. Arroyo again affirmed her rejection of these calls.

Related Topics:
July 8 - Resignation - Liberal Party - Corazon Aquino

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Former president Fidel Ramos has remained an ally of Arroyo, strongly rejecting calls for her to resign and suggesting an immediate constitutional change which would shift the Philippines from a unitary-presidential system of government to a federal-parliamentary system. For more information, please see the article about Charter Change.

Related Topics:
Fidel Ramos - Charter Change

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In September 2005, the House of Representatives voted 158 to 51 effectively killing the impeachment case against Arroyo, citing it as "insufficient in substance". Despite their promises, the political opposition failed to deliver the 79 votes needed to transmit the case to the senate. Even key members of the opposition failed to vote due to absence while some simply changed their minds in the last minute.

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Despite the House vote, Arroyo's government still faces an unrelenting opposition which continues to organize street rallies and media protests even at the expense of economic progress. Former president Corazon Aquino, a key Arroyo ally in the 2001 People Power Revolution (EDSA II), sided with the opposition leading the rallies on the street.

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Immediately after the House killed the impeachment complaints, the Social Weather Station (SWS) released a series of polls suggesting that the public continues to be unconvinced about Arroyo's standing in government. 79% of respondents wanted their president impeached over her telephone conversation with an election official which was believed to be tantamount to cheating. 64% say they want Arroyo to resign while 51% believe that a people power revolt is the solution to removing her from office.

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