(Redirected from Gloria Arroyo)
'Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo' (born
April 5,
1947), also known by her initials "G.M.A.", is the 14th and current
president of the
Philippines. She is the country's second
female president after
Corazon Aquino. She is the daughter of former President
Diosdado Macapagal.
Prior to becoming president, Arroyo was the country's first female
vice president. She was launched into the presidency in 2001 by
EDSA II that ousted
Joseph Ejercito-Estrada from power amid accusations of widespread corruption. Arroyo
was elected to a six-year term in 2004, defeating popular
actor Fernando Poe, Jr..
In 2005, Arroyo was selected as the fourth most powerful woman in the world by ''
Forbes'' magazine. She is ranked as number 45 on
Forbes magazine's list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women in 2006.
[2]
On August 30, 2007, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was ranked 51st in
Forbes magazine's list of the world's 100 most powerful women.
[3]
=
Arroyo was born Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal to politician
Diosdado Macapagal and his wife,
Evangelina Macaraeg Macapagal. She spent the first years of her life in
Lubao, Pampanga with her two older siblings from her father's first marriage.
[ Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ] At the age of four, she became jealous of her newborn brother and she chose to live with her maternal grandmother in
Iligan City.
[ Glory, Gloria! ] She stayed there for three years, then split her time between
Mindanao and
Manila until the age of 11.
In 1961, when Arroyo was just 14 years old, her father was elected as president. She moved with her family into Malacañang Palace in Manila. A municipality was named in her honor, Gloria, Oriental Mindoro. She attended Assumption Convent for her elementary and high school education, graduating valedictorian in 1964. Arroyo then studied for two years at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. where she was a classmate of future United States President Bill Clinton and achieved consistent Dean's list status.[4] She then earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Assumption College, graduating magna cum laude in 1968.
In 1968, Arroyo married lawyer and businessman Jose Miguel Arroyo of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, whom she had met while still a teenager.[ They had three children, Juan Miguel (born 1969), Evangelina Lourdes (born 1971) and Diosdado Ignacio Jose Maria (born in 1974). She pursued a Master's Degree in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University (1978) and a Doctorate Degree in Economics from the University of the Philippines (1985).[5] From 1977 to 1987, she held teaching positions in different schools, notably the University of the Philippines and the Ateneo de Manila University. She became chairperson of the Economics Department at Assumption College.]
In 1987 she was invited by President Corazon Aquino to join the government as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry. She was promoted to Undersecretary two years later. In her concurrent position as Executive Director of the Garments and Textile Export Board, Arroyo oversaw the rapid growth of the garment industry in the late 1980s.
Senator
Arroyo entered politics in the 1992 election, running for senator. At the first general election under the 1987 Constitution, the top twelve vote-getting senatorial candidates would win a six-year term, and the next twelve candidates would win a three-year term.[6] Arroyo ranked 13th in the elections, earning a three-year term. She was re-elected in 1995, topping the senatorial elections with nearly 16 million votes.
As a legislator, Arroyo filed over 400 bills and authored or sponsored 55 laws during her tenure as senator, including the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, the Indigenous People's Rights Law, and the Export Development Act.
The 1995 Mining Act, which allows 100% foreign ownership of Philippine mines, has come under fire from left-wing political groups.
Vice Presidency
Arroyo considered a run for the presidency in the 1998 election, but was persuaded by President Fidel V. Ramos and leaders of the administration party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats to instead seek the vice-presidency as the running mate of its presidential candidate, House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr.[7] Though the latter lost to popular former actor Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Arroyo won the vice presidency by a large margin, garnering more than twice the votes of her closest opponent, Estrada's running mate Senator Edgardo Angara.[8]
Arroyo began her term as Vice President on June 30, 1998. She was appointed by Estrada to a concurrent position in the cabinet as Secretary of Social Welfare and Development.
Arroyo resigned from the cabinet in October 2000, distancing herself from President Estrada, who was accused of corruption by a former political supporter, Chavit Singson, Governor from Ilocos Sur.
Presidency
Succession in 2001
On January 20, 2001, after days of political turmoil and popular revolt, the Supreme Court declared the presidency vacant. The military and the national police had earlier withdrawn their allegiance to Estrada and shifted to Arroyo's side. Arroyo was sworn in the same day as the 14th president of the Philippines by Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. Coincidentally, Arroyo assumed office the same day as US President George W. Bush. The ousting of Estrada would later be known as EDSA II.
Estrada later questioned the legitimacy of the High Court's declaration when he sought to reclaim the presidency, but the Supreme Court upheld the legitimacy of Arroyo's succession. Arroyo was able to wield and enjoy the powers and privileges of the presidency. The international community, through their respective embassies and consulates in the country, together with all the government offices and most of the armed forces, recognized Arroyo as President of the Philippines.
Protesters numbering in the thousands marched to the presidential palace on May 1, 2001 and demanded Estrada, who had previously been apparently arrested on charges of 'plunder', be released and reinstated. Violence erupted when the protesters attempted to storm the presidential palace. In response, protesters and prominent political leaders were arrested, and the protest was eventually quelled. This would be infamously (albeit informally) pronounced as EDSA III.
Support for the opposition and Estrada subsequently dwindled after the victory of administration allied candidates in the midterm elections that was held later that same month. Arroyo outlined her vision for the country as "building a strong republic" throughout her tenure. Her agenda consists of building up a strong bureaucracy, lowering crime rates, increasing tax collection, improving economic growth, and intensifying counter-terrorism efforts.
Oakwood Mutiny
Main articles: Oakwood mutiny
On July 26, 2003, Arroyo faced a rebellion when renegade junior officers and their followers mutinied and seized a hotel and shopping mall in the business district of Makati City in Metro Manila. Arroyo delivered a televised warning to the renegades and threatened hostile action if they did not surrender. Senator Rodolfo Biazon, a former general, was requested to talk to the mostly young, rebel soldiers. They surrendered soon after it became apparent that they would be attacked by government forces. The mutiny was rumored to have been connected to Estrada and his supporters. A former aide of Estrada has been arrested in connection with the uprising. The President created the Feliciano Commission to investigate the mutiny. The commission later found that the rebellions, dubbed the ''Oakwood Mutiny'' (named after the hotel the rebels seized), was planned and not spontaneous. It was obviously an attempt to bring down the Arroyo Government. The connection to Estrada, however, was never proven.
Jose Pidal Controversy
In August 18, 2003, Senator Panfilo Lacson accused Jose Miguel Arroyo, the president's husband, of siphoning campaign funds into a bank account under the fictitious name "Jose Pidal". The accusations were never legally substantiated.[9]
The 2004 election and subsquent rigging allegations
Main articles: Hello Garci scandal
Although the Philippine Constitution bars a president from reelection, it allows for the election of a person who has succeeded as president and has served for not more than four years.[10] In December 2002, Arroyo made the surprise announcement that she would not seek a new term in the May 2004 elections.
Arroyo faced a tough election campaign in early 2004 against Estrada friend and popular actor Fernando Poe, Jr., senator and former police general Panfilo Lacson, former senator Raul Roco, and Christian evangelist Eddie Villanueva. Her campaign platform centered on a shift to a parliamentary and federal form of government, job creation, universal health insurance, anti-illegal drugs, and anti-terrorism.
Arroyo lagged behind Poe in the polls prior to the campaign season, but her popularity steadily climbed to surpass Poe's.[12] As predicted by pre-election surveys and exit polls, she won the election by a margin of over a million votes against her closest rival, Fernando Poe, Jr.
In the middle of 2005, Samuel Ong who is a former deputy director of the country's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) claimed to have audio tapes of wiretapped conversations 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 in order to win by around one million votes. On June 27, Arroyo admitted to inappropriately speaking to a Comelec official, claiming it was a "lapse in judgement", but denied influencing the outcome of the election. Attempts to impeach Arroyo failed later that year.
Two witnesses, Antonio Rasalan and Clinton Colcol, stepped forward on August 2006, claiming involvement in an alleged plot to alter the results for the May 2004 elections. Rasalan claimed that he was fully convinced that the election returns presented at the House of Representatives were manufactured and had replaced the original documents.
Colcol, a tabulator for the Commission on Elections (Comelec), said that Arroyo only received 1,445 votes, while Poe received 2,141 in South Upi, Maguindanao during the May 2004 elections.[13] [14] [15]
Economy
President Arroyo, President Bush and other state leaders at the 2004 A.P.E.C. trade summit
Arroyo, a practicing economist, has made the economy the focus of her presidency. Early in her presidency, Arroyo implemented a controversial policy of holiday economics, adjusting holidays to form longer weekends with the purpose of boosting domestic tourism and allowing Filipinos more time with their families.[16] Economic growth in terms of gross domestic product has averaged 4.6% during the Arroyo presidency from 2001 up to the end of 2005. This is higher than previous recent presidents when compared to the 3.8% average of Aquino, the 3.7% average of Ramos, and the 2.8% average of Joseph Estrada. Inflation during the Arroyo presidency has been the lowest since 1986, averaging 5.3%.[17] Recently in 2nd quarter of 2007, the economy expanded at 7.5%, the fastest in 20 years.[18]
The opposition, however, claims that much of this growth should be attributed to former president Estrada. Dr. Benjamin Diokno, Estrada's former Budget Secretary, claims that Estrada could not be blamed for economic performance in 1998 since his policy changes in July of 1998 would only have taken effect in 1999, and thus, Arroyo should only receive credit for economic performance from 2001 onwards. Further, more and more Filipinos seek work abroad as the domestic economy slowly declined during 2001 and 2005. Their remittances have increased to 13.5 percent of GDP.[19].
It was once reported that a series of 100-peso bills misspelling her name as "Arrovo" were released during the early part of her presidency. Most of these bills were withdrawn from circulation.
International relations
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo with George W. Bush during the latter's state visit to the Philippines in 2003.
The Arroyo administration has forged a strong relationship with the United States. Arroyo was one of the first world leaders who expressed support for the US-led coalition against global terrorism in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and remains one of its closest allies in the war on terror.[20] Following the US-led invasion of Iraq, in July 2003 the Philippines sent a small humanitarian contingent which included medics and engineers. These troops were recalled in July 2004 in response to the kidnapping of Filipino truck driver Angelo de la Cruz.
Arroyo's foreign policy is anchored on building strong ties with the United States, East Asian and Southeast Asian nations, and countries where overseas Filipino workers work and live.[21] In 2007, the Philippines was host to the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu City.
On August 21, 2007, Gloria's administration asked the Senate of the Philippines to ratify a $4bn (£2bn) trade deal with Japan (signed on 2006 with the former Japanese prime minister Junichiro Koizumi), which would create more than 300,000 jobs (by specifically increasing local exports such as shrimp to Japan). Japan also promised to hire at least 1,000 Philippine nurses. Sad to say, the opposition-dominated senate objected on the ground that toxic wastes would be sent to the Philippines. But the government denied this due to the diplomatic notes which stated that it would not be accepting Japanese waste in exchange for economic concessions.[22]
Domestic policies
Charter Change
In 2005, Arroyo initiated a movement for an overhaul of the constitution to transform the present presidential-bicameral republic into a federal parliamentary-unicameral form of government.[23] At her 2005 State of the Nation Address, she claimed "The system clearly needs fundamental change, and the sooner the better. It's time to start the great debate on Charter Change".[24]
In late 2006, the House of Representatives shelved a plan to revise the constitution through constituent assembly.[25]
Executive Order No. 464 and Calibrated Preemptive Response
How the House of Representatives voted in favor (green) and against (blue) in impeaching Arroyo
In late September 2005, Arroyo issued an executive order stating that demonstrations without permits would be pre-emptively stopped. Then members of the military testified in Congressional hearings that they were defying a direct order not to testify about their knowledge of the election scandal. There is the issuance of Executive Order No. 464 forbidding government officials under the executive department from appearing in congressional inquiries without President Arroyo's prior consent. [4] These measures were challenged before the Supreme Court, which apparently declared some sections as unconstitutional.
State of Emergency
Main articles: 2006 state of emergency in the Philippines
On Friday, February 24, 2006, an alleged coup d'état plot was uncovered in the Philippines, headed by Capt. Danilo Lim and other rightist military adventurists.
The declaration of Proclamation No. 1017 gave Gloria Macapagal Arroyo the power to issue warrantless (and until then unconstituional) arrests and to take over private institutions that run public utilities.
The President, through the Department of Education, suspended classes in elementary and high school levels. In response, colleges and universities suspended classes. By virtue of PP 1017, she declared a State of Emergency for the whole country in an attempt to quell rebellion as her grip on power began to slip, stop lawless violence and promote peace and stability. The government's first move after the declaration was to disperse demonstrators, particularly the groups picketing along EDSA. Former Philippine president Corazon Aquino was among those that protested, along with leftist and extreme right activists. A number of public figures were reported to have been arrested.
After the foiling of the plot and the dispersal of the rallies, PP 1017 continued for a week on threats of military plots (such as the military stand-off of Feb. 26 at Fort Bonifacio headed by Col. Ariel Querubin), violence, illegal rallies and public disturbance.
Six leftist representatives - Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño, and Joel Virador of Bayan Muna, Liza Maza of GABRIELA, and Crispin Beltran and Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis - were charged with rebellion. Crispin Beltran of Anakpawis was arrested on February 25 on charges of inciting to sedition and rebellion. To avoid further arrest, the other five found shelter at the Batasan Complex.
On the Saturday of Feb. 25, the office of the ''Daily Tribune'', a newspaper known as a hard-hitting critic of the Arroyo administration, was raided. After the raid, an issuance of Journalism Guideline followed, authored by the government in order to cope with the "present abnormal situation", according to then Chief of Staff Michael Defensor. The move to suppress freedom of the press against the ''Daily Tribune'' was criticized by Reporters Without Borders.[26]
The decree was lifted on March 3, 2006. However the opposition, lawyers, and concerned citizens filed a complaint in the Supreme Court contesting the constitutionality of PP 1017. The court, on May 4, declared the proclamation constitutional, but said it was illegal to issue warrantless arrests and seize private institutions.
Human rights concerns
A May 2006 Amnesty International report expressed concern over the sharp rise in vigilante killings of militant activists and community workers in the Philippines.[27] Task Force Usig, a special police unit tasked to probe reported extrajudicial killings, counts 115 murders and says most of these are the result of an internal purge by communist rebels. [28] Human rights groups put the number as high as 830.
These violations were alleged to have been committed against left-leaning organizations and party-list groups including BAYAN, Bayan Muna and Anakpawis. These organizations accuse the PNP and AFP for the deaths of these political opponents. Arroyo has condemned political killings "in the harshest possible terms" and urged witnesses to come forward.
"The report, which Melo submitted to Arroyo last month, reportedly linked state security forces to the murder of militants and recommended that military officials, notably retired major general Jovito Palparan, be held liable under the principle of command responsibility for killings in their areas of assignment."
[29] [30]
[31]
[32]
[33]
General Palparan who retired September 11, 2006 has been appointed by President Arroyo to be part of the Security Council. This has alarmed left-leaning political parties about the potential for human rights violations.[34]
President Arroyo's official portrait
An independent commission was assembled in August 2006 to investigate the killings. Headed by former Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo, the group known as the Melo Commission concluded that most of the killings were instigated by the AFP, but found no proof linking the murder of activists to a "national policy" as claimed by the left-wing groups.
In her July 23, 2007 SONA, President Arroyo has set out her agenda for her last 3 years in office, and called for legislation to deal with a spate of political killings that have brought international criticism to her presidency. Amid thousands of protesters in Manila, she promised to bring peace to the troubled south, and also defended a controversial new anti-terrorism legislation. Ms Arroyo told the joint session of Congress that "I would rather be right than popular."[35]Lawmakers and lawyers, however, were dismayed by the SONA's failure to highlight and address this major hindrance to human rights. Specifically, the Alternative Law Groups (ALG) echoed the lawmakers’ position that Mrs Arroyo failed to take responsibility for the problem.[36]
Amnesty Proclamation
On September 5, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed amnesty Proclamation 1377 for members of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army; other communist rebel groups; and their umbrella organization, the National Democratic Front. The amnesty will cover the crime of rebellion and all other crimes "''in pursuit of political beliefs''," but not including crimes against chastity, rape, torture, kidnapping for ransom, use and trafficking of illegal drugs and other crimes for personal ends and violations of international law or convention and protocols "''even if alleged to have been committed in pursuit of political beliefs''." The National Committee on Social Integration (NCSI) will issue a Certificate of Amnesty to qualified applicants. Implementing rules and regulations are being drafted and the decree will be submitted to the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives for their concurrence. The proclamation becomes effective only after Congress has concurred.[37]
2010 Ambition
In her SONA speech, Arroyo served notice that she should not be treated as a lame-duck President: "I am not an obstacle to anyone's ambition. But make no mistake." In the 56-minute SONA speech at the joint opening of the 14th Congress at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City, a beaming Arroyo, dressed in a red terno, said she "will not stand idly by when anyone gets in the way of the national interest and tries to block the national vision. From where I sit, I can tell you, a President is always as strong as she wants to be."[38]
Appendix
Arroyo is both Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Chief Girl Scout of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.[39][40]
See also
★ President of the Philippines
★ List of female heads of state
References
1. Estrada v. Arroyo, G.R. No. 146710-15. (2001)
2. The 100 Most Powerful Women
3. ITH, Forbes names Merkel world's most powerful woman for second year in row; Rice slips to 4th
4. Gloria Arroyo, The Most Powerful Women
5. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Biography
6. Article 18: Transitory Provisions
7. ...So Help Us God: The Presidents of the Philippines and Their Inaugural Addresses, , J. Eduardo, Malaya, Anvil Publishing, 2004,
8. Results of the Past Presidential & Vice-Presidential Elections
9. Mike Arroyo: President's 'buffer, shield, eyes and ears'
10. Article 7: Executive Department
11. Arroyo U-turn on re-election bid
12. SWS May 1-4, 2004 Survey
13. 2 men claim cheating for Arroyo in '04 election Norman Bordadora
14. [1]
15. [2]
16. GMA bares list of holidays
17. The best president after Marcos
18. [3]
19. Hunger records reach new high
20. http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/07/16/philippines.hostage/index.html
21. http://www.op.gov.ph/publications/srvision.pdf
22. BBC NEWS, Philippines fight over trade deal
23. People's support for Charter change 'nowhere to go but up' Lira Dalangin-Fernandez
24. 2005 State of the Nation Address
25. Arroyo allies retreat
26. Philippines
27. 2006 Elections to the Human Rights Council - Background information on candidate countries
28. Melo: Commission report 'complete'
29. State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
30. http://www.pinoyhr.net/
31. http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2007/07271.htm
32. http://www.radiopinoyusa.com/radiopinoy_news.php?id=NEWS-00592}
33. http://hrw.org/reports/2007/philippines0607/
34. Reign of terror continues Norman Borbadora
35. Arroyo lays out economic agenda
36. [5]
37. Inquirer.net, Arroyo signs amnesty proclamation for communists
38. Inquirer.net, Don't count me out
39. National Leadership (2005-2006)
40. Central Board
External links
★ Office of the President of the Philippines
★ President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo official website
العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
Español
![Don\](images/articles/thumbs/beachrainthumb.jpg "Don\")
