I'm no fan of Gloria Arroyo. While not as corrupt as some past leaders she has had her hand in corruption including being taped in a phone conversation trying to rig voting. Her husband and family fled the country before a mob stormed the palace and lynched them for accepting kickbacks. The Philippines continues its downward spiral and suffering of it's people because of the constant corruption in leadership.
I am still of the belief that if they can get one good leader in there to put the slap down on corruption and really give a crap about the people that they could become an economic powerhouse in the future. They are in a prime location geographically and have a country that has a high percentage of English speakers. They are plagued by the same system that Mexico faces, a ruling class that steps upon the backs and takes advantage of the poor. They dare not let poor people have a chance at rising above the corruption, so that they can keep all the money to themselves.
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| Former Hostage Roberto Tarongoy |
It should also be noted that it is believed that Arroyo personally authorized a $6 million ransom payment to terrorists in Iraq for
Filipino hostage Angelo De La Cruz and an undisclosed amount and terms for
hostage Roberto Tarongoy. She also ordered all Filipinos out of Iraq after pledging her support for the coalition. This may have been due to terms negotiated with the terrorists in order to get hostages released.
Her administration has also opened negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which is a terrorist group that has bombed areas in the Philippines. Mindanao has faced a 37-year separatist insurgency by the MILF that has killed over 120,000 people. Rather than go in there and kill the terrorists Arroyo would rather talk with them.
Last year Gloria Arroyo's approval record in the polls were at record lows and her administrations approval rating on 11 out of 14 national issues had dropped to their lowest levels as well -- most approval in the 20-30% range.
Filipino's are a great people and deserve better than this corrupt woman.
BBC
Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has declared a state of emergency, after the army said it had prevented a coup.
She said was taking the action "because of the clear threat to the nation".
The threat wasn't to the nation, it was to her bank account and her life.
A top general is being held, suspected of planning to use rallies marking 20 years since the fall of President Ferdinand Marcos to launch a coup.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Manila on Friday in breach of the emergency order, but were beaten back by riot police using water cannon.
...
Police beat protesters with truncheons and used water cannon to disperse the 5,000-strong crowd. Earlier, some 3,000 people gathered in a largely peaceful protest.
...
Two of Mrs Arroyo's predecessors, Marcos and Joseph Estrada, were ousted in public revolts.
The conspiracy by "totalitarian forces of both the extreme left and extreme right" constituted "a clear and present danger to the safety and the integrity of the Philippine state and of the Filipino people," she said.
Yes and Marcos and Estrada were corrupt, just like Gloria Arroyo.
She's using the same strong-arm tactics as Marcos, quell opposition to your corrupt government so you can continue to hold the poor down with your junta. The only "totalitarian forces" in the Philippines right now is that of Gloria Arroyos administration.
Emergency rule allows arrests without warrants and extended detention without charge.
Analysts say it is a very sensitive issue in the Philippines, where martial law was in force for nine years under President Marcos.
And just like Marcos you now have Arroyo, putting her political opponents away without charges via martial law.
Over the past few months, Mrs Arroyo has faced a mounting crisis because of allegations of vote rigging and corruption.
She survived an impeachment attempt in September 2005 and an army mutiny, involving some 300 soldiers, in July 2003.
They keep trying to overthrow her because she is not good for the country and the citizens are sick of her.
Tipped by: Captain's Quarters who seems to be worried about Abu Sayyaf for some reason. These coups are not because of Radical Islam, they are because of poor people being sick of being held under water by these bullying and corrupt officials.
