Alastair McIndoe
The Straits Times
29-03-2010

House supporters keen to see her named new Speaker; she’ll pick new CJ before term ends

With a general election nearing, Philippines President Gloria Arroyo could be expected to be wrapping up her administration and thinking about legacy issues. Far from it.

Not only is Mrs Arroyo planning a new life in politics by running in the May 10 polls for a seat in Congress, she also made a controversial appointment in the armed forces, and now looks set to pick a new chief justice before she steps down.

Speculation over her intentions is adding to an already heated election.

Mrs Arroyo’s critics say she is trying to extend her influence in key institutions before her term ends.

To be sure, she has good reason to watch her back. Her administration was buffeted by corruption scandals, and it is widely expected her foes will push for these to be re-examined in the courts and public inquiries.

‘The President has to protect herself and get as much support as she can from established institutions,’ said political science professor Edmund Tayao.

Despite her unpopularity among many Filipinos, Mrs Arroyo is expected to have little trouble winning a seat representing a district in her home province.

A skilful political operator, Mrs Arroyo had majority support in the House of Representatives, and her allies there have made no secret of their desire to see her appointed as House Speaker, an influential, agenda-setting post, in the next Congress.

‘It is now clear that Mrs Arroyo is absolutely intent on consolidating and perpetuating her power by shifting it from the executive to the legislative branch,’ regional risk consultants Pacific Strategies and Assessments said in a report.

According to a count by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 159 of Mrs Arroyo’s current allies are running for seats in the 260-member House in the May polls.

It is not a given they will all win or remain loyal. But analysts expect a sizeable ‘Arroyo bloc’ in the next Congress.

Meanwhile, opposition fears of a failed election in the country’s first electronic vote prolonging her presidency are being aired prominently in the local media.

Election commissioner Jose Melo has dismissed fears of a system meltdown on polling day as ‘pure fantasy’.

But in a survey released on Friday by pollsters Social Weather Stations, 48 per cent of respondents expected ‘people power’ protests if the polls fail.

For her part, Mrs Arroyo has made repeated assurances of her intention to step down on June 30, when her terms ends.

‘Our entire administration is devoted to ensure a smooth transition to a new government,’ she told troops during a ceremony early this month to mark her appointment of Lieutenant-General Delfin Bangit to the top post in the armed forces.

Lt-Gen Bangit is seen as particularly close to the President, and his promotion drew fire from the political opposition for bypassing more senior officers.

In another row over appointments, a Supreme Court ruling this month that a ban on presidential appointments during the election period does not cover the judiciary will enable Mrs Arroyo to appoint a successor to the retiring chief justice.

Right now, all 14 serving justices of the Supreme Court are her appointees, made over a decade of being in power.

The ruling set off angry protests over an ‘Arroyo court’ by some members of the legal profession. But Prof Tayao believes fears of a pliant court are overdone.

‘The debt of gratitude is an important part of Filipino culture, but not to the point of sacrificing institutions,’ he said.

Even so, one of the leading candidates for the presidency, Mr Benigno Aquino III, has said that if elected, he would not recognise a chief justice picked by Mrs Arroyo.

Ni Ellen Tordesillas
March 25, 2010

Ang balita kung sino-sino na raw ang kumaka-usap kay Philippine National Police Chief Jesus Versoza na mag-resign para mailagay na ni Gloria Arroyo bilang PNP Chief si NCR Chief Roberto Rosales.

Kinausap na siya ni Local Governments Secretary Ronaldo Puno. Pati na raw ang anak ni Gloria Arroyo na si Mikey, congressman ng Pampanga (2nd district) ay kuma-usap na rin kay Versoza.

Sana hindi magpa-pressure si Versoza dahil Disyembre 2010 pa siya dapat mag-retire.

Si Rosales ay kasama sa Class ‘78 ng Philippine Military Academy na honorary member si Arroyo.

Galit kasi si Arroyo kay Versoza. Hindi dumalo si Arroyo sa graduation ceremonies ng Philippine National Police Academy noong Marso 18 sa Camp Castañeda, Silang Cavite. Sa anibersaryo naman ng Philippine Army noong Lunes,binati niya ang lahat na mga matataas na opisyal maliban kay Versoza.
Ano ba ang problema ni Gloria Arroyo kay Versoza?

Galit siya dahil sinabi ni Versoza na hindi niya susuportahan si Armed Forces Chief Delfin Bangit kung sakaling ipilit niyang panatilihin si Gloria Arroyo sa kanyang inagaw na pwesto sa Malacañang lampas ng Hunyo 30, 2010.

Sabi ni Versoza, ilegal yun dahil ayun sa Constitution, dapat may bago tayong presidente pagdating ng Hunyo 30.

Masama ba ang sinabi ng PNP chief na hindi siya susunod sa illegal na order? Ibig sabihin noon talagang gagawa siya ng ilegal na hakbang para manatili siya kapangyarihan lampas ng Hunyo 30.

Kung sabagay, hindi nakakapagtaka ang mga ilegal na Gawain ni Arroyo. Ang pag-upo lang niya sa pagka-presidente noong Enero 2001 ay ilegal na. Hindi naman bakante ang pagka-presidente, inagaw niya kay Pangulong Joseph Estrada na binoto ng sambayanan. Mula non, kaliwa’t kanan na ang paglabag sa Constitution ang ginawa niya para lang manatili sakanyang ninakaw na pwesto.

Noong 2004 na eleksyun, nandaya siya kasabwat ang Comelec. Ngayon mukhang may niluluto na naman siya para hindi siya maalis sa kapangyarihan. Siyempre ilegal at dapat hawak niya lahat lalo pa ang military at pulis.

Akala niya hawak na niya ang military sa kanyang pagtalaga kay Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit bilang AFP chief. Kaya siguro siya inis na pumapalag si Versoza.

Nakapagtaka itong si Versoza dahil akala ko, bata siya ni Mike Arroyo. Ngunit mukhang may panindigan at gusto niyang alalahanin siya ng taumbayan na kagalang-galang.

May isinulat ako dati nang balak pa nina Arroyo na isulong ang charter change. Si Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano pa noon ang AFP chief of staff. Kinausap raw sila ng isang taong malapit kay Mike Arroyo at tinanong kung maasahan sila na protektahan ang interes nila kung sakaling magkagulo.

Ang sabi raw ni Yano, hindi raw magbabaril ang mga sundalo sa mga sambayanan na magpu-protesta sa charter change. Sabi rin daw ni Versoza, “Ganun din po ang mga pulis. Hanggang water cannon lang sila.”

Kaya hindi na ipinilit ang charter change na sana ay magiging daan upang manatili si Arroyo sa Malacañang bilang prime minister lampas ng Hunyo 2010. Kaya nag-iisip pa sila ng ibang paraan. Sigurado ilegal.

Nakakatuwa. Mukhang kinakarma na si Arroyo dahil kaya niya pinili si Versoza kaysa kay dating PNP Deputy Director General Geary Barias, na nagpasikat sa Manila Pen na insidente sa mga Magdalo noong Nobiembre 2008, dahil Disyembre 2010 pa ang retirement.

Si Barias kasi Pebrero 26 nag-retire. Isip ni Arroyo at ng mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya, kapag mag-appoint siya ng bagong PNP ilang buwan lang bago siya bumaba, ang loyalty nun sa bagong presidente. Hindi katulad kay Versoza na matagal na ang kanilang pinagsamahan, sigurado siya sa kanyang loyalty sa kanya.

Paano ngayon yan na mukhang loyal sa Constitution at sa sambayanang Pilipino itong si Versoza. Nakakarma na si Arroyo.

Sana manatiling matibay si Versoza para sa katotohanan.

By Paolo Romero
The Philippine Star; March 20, 2010

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang yesterday assured the public there would be no failure of elections this May but warned of a possible military takeover in the ensuing chaos arising from such an event.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Charito Planas said President Arroyo is definitely stepping down on June 30 and arrangements were already laid out for a peaceful turnover to the next chief executive.

Planas made the statement amid talks of a possible failure of the country’s first nationwide automated elections allegedly being orchestrated by the administration to prolong Mrs. Arroyo’s stay in power, starting with the appointment of her trusted generals to top posts in the military.

Planas noted that Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile issued a similar warning of a possible military junta taking over in the event of political turmoil arising from a failure to install a new president by June 30.

“It’s possible that the military would take over. That’s possible as military juntas have taken over in several countries in Southeast Asia,” Planas told a news briefing.

When asked whether the President is prepared to remain in office while waiting for the new president to be proclaimed, Planas said: “Let’s look at the Constitution.”

“It’s not the President who will say: ‘I want to remain here.’ It’s the situation and the Constitution that will dictate what will happen,” Planas said but did not elaborate.

Planas, however, stressed the possibility of a failure of elections occurring is extremely remote.

She said the public should not confuse delays or failures in the transmission or canvassing of voting results as failure of elections.

Once the votes are cast, the elections have successfully occurred, Planas said.

Even in past elections where votes were counted manually, Planas said the declaration of failure of elections was only limited to certain areas or polling precincts.

Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo, for his part, said there has never been a general declaration of a failure of elections in the country’s political history.

“Even with the manual counting of votes. Now there will be automated counting in most precincts, with no more than 30 percent manual count in a worst case scenario, Hence, there is nil chance of failure,” Saludo said, citing the argument of election lawyer Romulo Macalintal.

Even in the face of ceaseless arguments that the May 10 elections is likely to fail, Saludo assured this would not happen.

“Our elections have never failed. Neither will the 2010 polls, even if all our votes are counted by hand,” Saludo said.

Malacañang earlier called on the public to support the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure the successful holding of peaceful and honest polls on May 10.

Critics had warned the power crisis in Mindanao is only the dry run of the plan to stage a failure of elections.

The opposition Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) of former President Joseph Estrada said Malacañang is exerting all efforts to allow Mrs. Arroyo to stay in power.

“And now that its end is near, the whole country is witnessing how this administration appears to be using every trick in the book to extend its hold on power even when our people are clearly eager to replace it through the ballot,” PMP spokesman Ralph Calinisan said.

Opposition Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Delfin Bangit would be forced to retain Mrs. Arroyo in power if a failure of election is declared on May 10 where no president and vice president are proclaimed.

Rodriguez said no one among her constitutional successors could serve as head of state since the terms of Vice President Noli de Castro, Senate President Enrile and Speaker Prospero Nograles will all lapse on June 30 along with Mrs. Arroyo.

For his part, Bangit said he would not go beyond his oath of providing security in case a failure of election occurs in May.

Bangit also appealed to critics to spare the military from political intrigues.

“I already made my statement. I won’t repeat it anymore. I have my oath and it will be to protect and to support the Constitution, nothing more, nothing less…I will not go beyond my oath,” he said.

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, Jr. said the military has no intention of taking over the government in the event that no president is proclaimed or to lengthen President Arroyo’s stay in power.

“Our mandate is to provide security. In case there is a failure of elections, our mandate is very clear. We will come in to maintain peace and order. That’s all,” Brawner said.

Brawner said the AFP would only come in to help the Philippine National Police (PNP) restore order if a failure of elections is declared.

Brawner said such intervention by the military would ensure the constitutional provisions on succession would be upheld. – With Alexis Romero, Jose Rodel Clapano