The Economy and the Arroyo Presidency

The Economy and the Arroyo Presidency

Illegitmacy and electoral fraud


The specter of the “ Hello Garci” and its exposing the apparently direct involvement of Pres. Arroyo in electoral fraud evidently remains. Indeed this appears a given for most with 74% of Filipinos seeing truth to the accusation that GMA engaged in corruption and cheating in the 2004 elections and it is a core of illegitimacy that forever marks the Arroyo presidency. It is among the central issuesimpelling the initiation of three impeachment complaints so far.

The administration failed to use the May 2007 elections to cobble together a semblance of legitimacy and its senatorial slate was able to manage just three seats. The national level defeat was only very partially compensated for by patronage driven victories at the local level.

The vigilance of people to guard their votes and a handful of apparent electoral success by nontradional elite candidates was welcome. Still, the May elections did again confirm the brazen capture and manipulation of the country,s election by self serving elites.

The absence of electoral reforms even in the face of the system’s barefaced failures is a persistent problem which undermines the credibility evev of the approaching 2010 elections. The underlying distrust of the system in general underlies demands for credible, independent and respected COMELEC commissioners and probably a fair amount of field staff as well. The demands for electoral reforms will gain renewd urgency in 2008 and is an important area to challenge the Arroyo administration . Four of the seven Comelec slots, a critical majority, are open for the 2010 polls. Credible people are likewise needed for the 17 regional directors and, indeed, their associated bureaucracies .There is also the demand for computerization that, it is hoped, will reduce the capacity of elites in and out of power to manipulate vote counting and canvassing. There are also other electoral reforms proposed covering term limits, against political dynasties, developing the party system, strengthening the party list scheme, campaign financing and so on. The appointments are however decisive in terms of creating even a semblance of credibility and are a key test for Arroyo administration which has a dismal record in the persons of former commissioners Virgilio Garcillano and Benjamin Abalos.