Maria Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

(born April 5, 1947) is the fourteenth and current president of the Philippines and is also the
Representative-elect for Pampanga's 2nd district. Arroyo is the country's second female (after
Corazón Aquino) and second longest serving (after Ferdinand Marcos) president, she is also the
daughter of late former Philippine President Diosdado Macapagal and is a descendant of Don
Juan Macapagal who was a great-grandson of Lakandula the last reigning Rajah (King) of
Saludung.

A professor of economics, Arroyo entered government in 1987, serving as assistant secretary and
undersecretary of the Department of Trade and Industry upon the invitation of President Corazón
Aquino. After serving as a senator from 1992 to 1998, she was elected to the vice presidency
under President Joseph Estrada, despite having run on an opposing ticket. After Estrada was
accused of corruption, she resigned her cabinet position as Secretary of Social Welfare and
Development and joined the growing opposition to the president, who faced impeachment.
Estrada was soon forced from office by what its advocates would ascribe to peaceful street
demonstrations of the EDSA Revolution of 2001, but which critics credit to a conspiracy among
political and business elites, military top brass and Catholic Church cardinal Jaime Sin. Arroyo
was sworn into the presidency by then-Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. at around noon on
January 20, 2001 amidst the EDSA II crowd, hours before Estrada left Malacañang. She was
elected to a full six-year presidential term in the controversial May 2004 Philippine elections,
and was sworn in on June 30, 2004. Arroyo is nearing her 10th year in power and is currently
serving the second longest presidential term in Philippine history, next to Ferdinand Marcos.

In the 2009 rankings of Most Powerful Women by Forbes, she was ranked as the 44th most
powerful woman in the world.

Early life

She was born as María Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal to politician Diosdado Macapagal and his
wife, Evangelina Macaraeg-Macapagal. She is the sister of Dr. Diosdado "Boboy" Macapagal, Jr.
& Cielo Macapagal-Salgado. She spent the first years of her life in Lubao, Pampanga with her
two older siblings from her father's first marriage. At the age of four, she chose to live with her
maternal grandmother in Iligan City. She stayed there for three years, and then split her time
between Mindanao and Manila until the age of 11. She is fluent in English, Tagalog, Spanish and
several other Philippine languages, most importantly, Kapampangan, Ilokano, and Cebuano.

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. 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 José María (born in 1974). She
pursued a Master's Degree in Economics at the Ateneo de Manila University (1978) and a
Doctorate Degree in Economics from the University Of The Philippines (1985). From 1977 to
1987, she held teaching positions in several 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 Corazón 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. 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
José de Venecia, Jr. Though the latter lost to popular former actor Joseph Ejército 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.

Arroyo began her term as Vice President on June 30, 1998. Historically, she was the first and
only to date female Vice President of the Philippines. 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. She had initially resisted pressure from allies to speak out against Estrada, but
eventually joined calls for Estrada's resignation.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

President of the Philippines

Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 20, 2001
Teofisto Guingona
Vice President
Noli de Castro
Preceded by Joseph Estrada
Succeeded by Noynoy Aquino (Elect)

Member of the House of Representatives from

Pampanga's 2nd district
Taking office
June 30, 2010
Succeeding Mikey Arroyo

Vice President of the Philippines

In office
June 30, 1998 – January 20, 2001
President Joseph Estrada
Preceded by Joseph Estrada
Succeeded by Teofisto Guingona

Senator of the Philippines

In office
June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1998
 April 5, 1947 (age 63)[1]
Born
San Juan City, Philippines
Political party Lakas Kampi CMD (2009–present)
LDP (Before 1998)
Other political
KAMPI (1997–2009)
affiliations
Lakas-CMD (1998–2009)
Spouse(s) Jose Miguel Arroyo
Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign
Service
Assumption College
Alma mater
Ateneo de Manila University
University of the Philippines School of
Economics
Profession Economist
Religion Roman Catholicism
Signature

Administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2001-2010)

Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (the daughter of the late President Diosdado
Macapagal) was sworn in as Estrada's successor on the day of his departure. Her accession to
power was further legitimized by the mid-term congressional and local elections held four
months later, when her coalition won an overwhelming victory. Arroyo's initial term in office
was marked by fractious coalition politics as well as a military mutiny in Manila in July 2003
that led her to declare a month-long nationwide state of rebellion.

Arroyo had declared in December 2002 that she would not run in the May 2004 presidential
election, but she reversed herself in October 2003 and decided to join the race. She was re-
elected and sworn in for her own six-year term as president on June 30, 2004. In 2005, a tape of
a wiretapped conversation surfaced bearing the voice of Arroyo apparently asking an election
official if her margin of victory could be maintained. The tape sparked protests calling for
Arroyo's resignation. Arroyo admitted to inappropriately speaking to an election official, but
denied allegations of fraud and refused to step down. Attempts to impeach the president failed
later that year.

Arroyo unsuccessfully attempted a controversial plan for an overhaul of the constitution to

transform the present presidential-bicameral republic into a federal parliamentary-unicameral
form of government.

Overview

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the presidency on January 20, 2001, following the 2nd EDSA
revolution that ousted democratically-elected President Joseph Estrada. As she anticipated this
event, she told Time International in a November 2000 interview that she planned to look to two
predecessors as examples: "I will follow my father's footsteps in doing what is right, and God
will take care of the rest. My father is my role model. My living role model is Cory Aquino. I am
prepared."

Although her recent predecessors had lived outside Malacanang Palace, Macapagal-Arroyo
opted to return to her girlhood home. The new president faced numerous challenges, including an
unstable economy and violent protests launched by Estrada's supporters. She was also accused of
providing special treatment to the jailed former president. On May 27, 2001, Islamic militants
abducted 20 hostages at a resort in the province of Palawan, and Macapagal-Arroyo was thrust
into the ongoing battle between the Philippine government and the rebel forces, known as Abu
Sayyaf. Several other kidnappings by various criminal gangs followed. Macapagal-Arroyo
officially adopted a hardline "no ransom" response to the rebels and launched military operations
against them. Her administration was embarrassed, however, when it was revealed that several of
the hostages families paid ransom to the kidnappers directly, with some claiming that Philippine
military officers received a portion of the funds. The Macapagal-Arroyo administration received
another black mark when Mike Arroyo was accused of receiving bribes from a
telecommunications company seeking government-approved contracts.

On the economic front, Macapagal-Arroyo developed a blueprint to lift the Philippines out of its
financial crisis. In 2002, looking back on her first year as president, she cited the country's
economic survival as her greatest achievement, although she remained well aware that much
work lay ahead, according to The Power and the Glory. "We have been able to survive, to have a
higher growth rate than our neighbors," she said. "I dwell on what must be done. I am a very
focused person. I don't focus on laurels, on feeling secure, feeling comfortable. Even on the day I
was sworn in as president, I didn't say, 'Wow, I am now president,' I said, 'What should I do
now?' "

Despite the obstacles and various charges of impropriety directed at those close to her,
Macapagal-Arroyo was elected to a full six-year presidential term in May 2004. She edged out
her closest competitor, Filipino actor Fernando Poe Jr., by only one million votes. In her
inaugural address, Macapagal-Arroyo vowed to create up to 10 million jobs in the next six years,
balance the budget, improve tax collection, provide inexpensive medicine for the poor, and unite
the country. "Our nation must embrace a vision of economic opportunity, social cohesion and
always an everdemocratic faith," she stated, as quoted in the July 1, 2004, edition of the
International Herald Tribune.

Macapagal-Arroyo made international headlines in July after a Filipino driver was kidnapped by
militant rebels in war-torn Iraq. In defiance of the United States government's requests,
Macapagal-Arroyo honored the rebels' demands to pull all Filipino troops out of the country.
Later that month, she called for an end to political in-fighting in her own nation in order to turn
the focus to economic recovery. After former president Estrada declared the Philippines a
"nation in distress," as reported on CNN.com on July 23, 2004, Macapagal-Arroyo stated in a
State of the Nation address, "Let us set aside political bickering and politicking for at least one
year." She also used the address to reiterate her pledge to relieve poverty and promote economic
growth.
First Term (2001-2004)

Succession

Join me therefore as we begin to

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo being sworn in as
president by Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. in “ tear down the walls that divide.
January 2001.
Main articles: EDSA II and EDSA III
Let us build an edifice of peace,
progress, and economic stability. ”
The last quarter of 2000 up to the first week of — Gloria Arroyo, January 20, 2001
January 2001 was a period of political and
economic uncertainty for the Philippines. On
January 16, 2001, the impeachment trial has also taken a new direction. Private prosecutors
walked out of the trial when pro-Estrada senators prevented the opening of an evidence (a brown
envelope) containing bank records allegedly owned by President Estrada. With the walk out, the
impeachment trial was not completed and the Filipinos eventually took to the street to continue
the clamor for President Estrada's resignation.

From January 17 to 20, 2001, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos gathered at Epifanio de los
Santos Avenue (EDSA), the site of the original People Power Revolution. The clamor for a
change in the presidency gained momentum as various sectors of Philippine society –
professionals, students, artists, politicians, leftist and rightist groups – joined what became
known as EDSA II. Officials of the administration, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),
and the Philippine National Police (PNP) also withdrew their support for President Estrada.

Days after leaving Malacañang Palace, President Estrada's lawyers questioned the legitimacy of
Arroyo's presidency before the Supreme Court. He reiterated that he did not resign as president
and that at most, Arroyo was just serving in an acting capacity. The high court, however, voted
unanimously in upholding the legitimacy of Arroyo's succession. As a consequence, Estrada no
longer enjoys immunity from charges being filed against him.

In the last week of April 2001, the Sandiganbayan ordered the arrest of Estrada and his son,
Senator Jinggoy Estrada, for plunder charges. A few days later, Estrada supporters protested his
arrest, gathered at the EDSA Shrine, and staged what they called, EDSA III – comparing their
actions to the People Power revolution of 1986 and January 2001.

Thousands of protesters demanded the release of Estrada. Eventually, they also called for the
ouster of Arroyo and the reinstatement of the former. On May 1, 2001, they marched towards
Malacañang to force Arroyo to give in to their demands. Violence erupted when the protesters
attempted to storm the presidential palace and the military and police were forced to use their
arms to drive them back. Arroyo declared a state of rebellion because of the violence and
prominent political personalities affiliated with Estrada were charged and arrested. The so-called
EDSA III was the first serious political challenge to the Arroyo presidency.

Arroyo's ascent to the Philippine presidency in 2001 is mired in controversy as much as the
ouster of her predecessor with which it is intertwined. 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 support for Estrada. At noon, Arroyo
was sworn in as President of the Philippines by Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. Coincidentally,
Arroyo assumed office the same day as US President George W. Bush.

While the local media and its proponents hailed EDSA II as another peaceful "People Power,"
international views expressed through the international media described it as a conspiracy to oust
Estrada and install Arroyo as president. The New York Times writes that Southeast Asia-based
political economist William Overholt called it as "either being called mob rule or mob rule as a
cover for a well- planned coup." The International Herald Tribune reports how the "opportunist
coalition of church, business elite and left... orchestrated the 'People Power II movement."' On
Arroyo's proclamation as President, Former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew opined
that there is "an assumption of power here which isn't in the constitution."

Weeks later, Estrada filed a lawsuit challenging the legal basis of the Arroyo presidency and
insisting he remained the lawful president, though adding he would not try to reclaim his post.
The Supreme Court issued its decision on March 2, 2001, asserting that Estrada had resigned the
presidency and relinquished his post. The court unanimously voted to dismiss Estrada's petition,
reaffirming the legitimacy of Arroyo's presidency.

On May 1, 2001, a week after Estrada was arrested on charges of plunder, an estimated
3,000,000 protesters sympathetic to Estrada degenerated into violence and attempted to storm the
presidential palace to force Arroyo from office. Four people died, including two policemen, and
more than 100 were wounded in clashes between security forces and rioters. After being
dispersed the crowd had looted stores and burned cars. Arroyo declared a 'state of rebellion' in
Manila and ordered the arrests of opposition leaders who lead the uprising and conspired to
topple the government. The state of rebellion was lifted one week later, with Arroyo declaring
"the disorder has subsided".

Support for the opposition and Estrada subsequently dwindled after the victory of administration
allied candidates in the midterm elections that were held later that 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.

2001 Midterm Elections

The 2001 legislative elections and local elections were held in the Philippines on May 14, 2001 -
four months after Arroyo took office. Independent senatorial candidate Noli de Castro, a former
television anchor of TV Patrol of ABS-CBN was announced as the topnotcher. This is the first
synchronized national and local elections held after the ouster of Former President Joseph
Estrada in January due to a military-backed civilian uprising (popularly known as EDSA II). On
February 20, 2007, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that Former Senator Gregorio
Honasan lost in the 2001 Philippine elections and lost to Sen. Ralph Recto but declared
constitutional the special election for the remaining three-year term of Teofisto Guingona.

Oakwood mutiny

The Oakwood mutiny occurred in the Philippines on July 27, 2003. A group of 321 armed
soldiers who called themselves "Bagong Katipuneros" led by Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala and
Lt. Antonio Trillanes IV of the Philippine Navy took over the Oakwood Premier Ayala Center
(now Ascott Makati) serviced apartment tower in Makati City to show the Filipino people the
alleged corruption of the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration. They also stated that they
saw signs suggesting that the President was going to declare martial law.

2004 Presidential Election

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. In
December 2002, Arroyo made the surprise announcement that she would not seek a new term in
the Philippine general election, 2004. Ten months later, however, she reversed her position and
declared her intention to seek a direct mandate from the people, saying "there is a higher cause to
change society... in a way that nourishes our future".

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. 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.
Second Term (2004-present)

Arroyo taking her Oath of Office in Cebu City on June 30, 2004.

Arroyo took her oath of office on June 30, 2004. In a break with tradition, she chose to first
deliver her inaugural address at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila before departing to Cebu City
for her oath taking: the first time a Philippine president had taken the oath of office outside of
Luzon.

State of Emergency

On Friday, February 24, 2006, an alleged coup d'état plot was uncovered in the Philippines,
headed by Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim.

The declaration of Proclamation No. 1017 gave Gloria Macapagal Arroyo the power to issue
warrantless (and until then unconstitutional) 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, to 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 February 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 Saturday, February 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.

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.

2007 Midterm Elections

Legislative and local elections were held in the Philippines on May 14, 2007. Positions contested
included half the seats in the Senate, which are elected for six-year terms, and all the seats in the
House of Representatives, who were elected for three-year terms. The duly elected legislators of
the 2007 elections joined the elected senators of the 2004 elections to comprise the 14th
Congress of the Philippines.

Most representatives won seats by being elected directly, the constituency being a geographical
district comprising of about 250,000 voters. There are 220 seats in total for all the legislative
districts.

Some representatives were elected under a party-list system. Only parties representing
marginalized groups were allowed to run in the party-list election. To gain one seat, a party must
win 2% of the vote. No party-list party may have more than 3 seats. After the election, in a
controversial decision, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) changed how it allocates the
party-list seats. Under the new formula only one party will have the maximum 3 seats. It based
its decision on a formula contained in a Supreme Court decision.

Local elections for governor, vice governor, provincial board seats and mayoral, vice mayoral
and city/municipal council seats in Metro Manila and the provinces are up for grabs as well.

Arroyo's coalition won 3 senate seats and 123 seats in the house.

The Manila Peninsula Rebellion

The Peninsula Manila Rebellion was a rebellion in the Philippines on November 29, 2007.
Detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, General Lim and other Magdalo officials walked out of
their trial and marched through the streets of Makati City, called for the ouster of President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and seized the second floor of The Peninsula Manila Hotel along
Ayala Avenue. Former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona also joined the march to the hotel.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Brigadier Gen. Danilo Lim surrendered to authorities after an
armored personnel carrier rammed into the lobby of the hotel. Director Geary Barias declared
that the standoff at the Manila Peninsula Hotel is over as Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Brig. Gen.
Danilo Lim along with other junior officers agreed to leave the hotel and surrender to Barias
after the 6 hour siege. There was difficulty getting out for a while due to the tear gas that was
covering the area where they were hiding.

Days after the mutiny, the Makati City Regional Trial Court dismissed the rebellion charges
against all the 14 civilians involved in the siege, and ordered their release.

Impeachment complaints

In 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008, impeachment complaints were filed against President Arroyo
although none of the cases reached the required endorsement of 1/3 of the members for
transmittal to and trial by the Senate.

On October 13, 2008, the 4th 97-page impeachment complaint against President Arroyo was
filed at the House of Representatives of the Philippines with the required endorsements by Party
list Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño and Liza Maza. The complaint accuses
Arroyo of corruption, extrajudicial killings, torture and illegal arrests. The impeachment further
raised the issues on "national broadband network agreement with China, human rights violations,
the Northrail project, the Mt. Diwalwal project, fertilizer fund scam, alleged bribery of members
of the House, the swine scam under the Rural Credit Guarantee Corporation, and 2004 electoral
fraud." The opposition complainants were Edita Burgos, Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico,
Jose de Venecia III, Harry Roque, Armando Albarillo, a human rights victim, Roneo Clamor,
Karapatan deputy secretary general, Josefina Lichauco, and representatives from civil society -
Renato Constantino, Jr., Henri Kahn, Francisco Alcuaz, Rez Cortez, Virgilio Eustaquio, Jose
Luis Alcuaz, Leah Navarro, Danilo Ramos, Concepcion Empeño, Elmer Labog, Armando
Albarillo, Roneo Clamor, and Bebu Bulchand. The justice committee has 60 days to rule upon
the complaint's sufficiency in form and substance. However, the opposition has only 28 House
seats.

Under Sections 2 and 3, Article XI, Constitution of the Philippines, the House of Representatives
of the Philippines has the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment against, the
President, Vice President, members of the Supreme Court, members of the Constitutional
Commissions (Commission on Elections, Commission on Audit), and the Ombudsman. When a
third of its membership has endorsed the impeachment articles, it is then transmitted to the
Senate of the Philippines which tries and decides, as impeachment tribunal, on the impeachment
case.

Estrada pardon

On October 25, 2007, Arroyo granted a pardon to Joseph Estrada, supposedly based on the
recommendation by the Department of Justice. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye quoted the signed
Order: "In view hereof in pursuant of the authority conferred upon me by the Constitution, I
hereby grant Executive clemency to Joseph Ejercito Estrada, convicted by the Sandiganbayan of
plunder and imposed a penalty of reclusion perpetua. He is hereby restored to his civil and
political rights."

Bunye noted that Estrada committed in his application not to seek public office, and he would be
free from his Tanay resthouse on October 26, noon. Accordingly, Justice Secretary Raul
Gonzales categorically stated in 2008 that an Estrada plan to run for president in the scheduled
2010 elections is unconstitutional. Estrada, however, disagrees, saying that he is eligible to run
for president again, based on the legal advice he gets from former Supreme Court Chief Justice
Andres Narvasa.

Martial Law

In the wake of the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town, President Arroyo placed
Maguindanao under a state of martial law, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced on
the morning of December 5, 2009. In so doing, Malacañang has suspended the writ of habeas
corpus in the province except "for certain areas," enabling the military to make arrests without
court intervention. This constitutes the first declaration of martial law in the Philippines since
1972, when then-president Ferdinand Marcos imposed military rule over the entire country.

Congressional bid in Pampanga

On November 30, 2009, after much speculation, President Arroyo announced on the Philippine
Broadcasting Service her congressional bid for the second district of Pampanga. On December 1,
2009, she filed her candidacy under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

Economy

President Arroyo, President Bush and other state leaders at the 2004 APEC Trade Summit

Arroyo, a practicing economist, has made the economy the focus of her presidency. Based on
official (National Economic and Development Authority) figures, economic growth in terms of
gross domestic product has averaged 5.0% during the Arroyo presidency from 2001 up to the
first quarter of 2008. This is higher than in the administration of the previous recent presidents:
3.8% average of Aquino, 3.7% average of Ramos, and 3.7% average of the Joseph Estrada
administration. The Philippine economy grew at its fastest pace in three decades in 2007, with
real GDP growth exceeding 7%. Arroyo's handling of the economy has earned praise from
former "friend" and classmate in Georgetown, ex-US President Bill Clinton, who cited her
"tough decisions" that put the Philippine economy back in shape.

Whether the official economic figures are accurate, or how they translate to improving lives of
the citizens, however, is debatable. Studies made by the United Nations (UN) and local survey
research firms show worsening, instead of improving, poverty levels. A comparative 2008 UN
report shows that the Philippines lags behind its Asian neighbors, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam
and China, in terms of poverty amelioration. The study reveals that from 2003 up to 2006, the
number of poor Filipinos increased by 3.8 million, with poverty incidence being approximately
three times higher in agricultural communities. With regards the problem of hunger, quarterly
studies by the social polling research firm Social Weather Stations show that the number of
Filipino households suffering from hunger has significantly increased during Arroyo's
presidency. Her administration first set the record for hunger levels in March 2001, and
beginning June 2004, broke the record again seven times. December 2008 figures saw the new
record high of 23.7%, or approximately 4.3 million households, of Filipino families experiencing
involuntary hunger.

A controversial expanded value added tax (e-VAT) law, considered the centerpiece of the
Arroyo administration's economic reform agenda, was implemented in November 2005, aiming
to complement revenue-raising efforts that could plug the country's large budget deficit. The
country aims to balance the national budget by 2010. The tax measure boosted confidence in the
government's fiscal capacity and helped to strengthen the Philippine peso, making it East Asia's
best performing currency in 2005-06. The peso strengthened by nearly 20% in 2007, making it
by far Asia's best performing currency for the year, a fact attributed to a combination of
increased remittances from overseas Filipino workers and a strong domestic economy.

Annual inflation reached the 17-year high of 12.5 percent in August 2008, up from a record low
of 2.8 percent registered in 2007. It eased to 8.8 percent in December 2008 as fuel and energy
prices went down.

The managing director of the World Bank, Juan Jose Daboub, criticized the administration for
not doing enough to curb corruption.

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.

Foreign Policies

Foreign trips of Gloria Arroyo during her 9-year presidency.

Iraq War

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 attacks, and remains one of its closest allies
in the war on terror. 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. With the
hostage takers demands met, the hostage was released. The force was previously due to leave
Iraq the following month. The early pullout drew international condemnation, with the United
States protesting against the action, saying giving in to terrorist demands should not be an option.

President Barack Obama jokes with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo before a news
conference in the Oval Office on July 30, 2009.

President Arroyo with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev during her visit in Moscow, Russia for St.
Petersburg International Economic Forum, June 4-6, 2009
ASEAN Summit

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. In
2007, the Philippines were host to the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu City.

Philippines-Japan Trade Deal

On August 21, 2007, Arroyo'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. The
opposition-dominated senate objected on the ground that toxic wastes would be sent to the
Philippines; the government denied this due to the diplomatic notes which stated that it would
not be accepting Japanese waste in exchange for economic concessions.

Council of Women World Leaders

In keeping with this international mission, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a member of

the Council of Women World Leaders, an International network of current and former women
presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders
globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable
development.

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. 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".

In late 2006, the House of Representatives shelved a plan to revise the constitution through
constituent assembly.

Executive Order No. 464 and calibrated preemptive response

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.[53] These measures were challenged before the Supreme Court,
which apparently declared some sections as unconstitutional.
Human rights

A May 2006 Amnesty International report expressed concern over the sharp rise in vigilante
killings of militant activists and community workers in the Philippines. Task Force Usig, a
special police unit tasked to probe reported extra-judicial killings, by state run death squads
counts 115 murders and says most of these are the result of an internal purge by communist
rebels. 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 Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines 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."

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.

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 Armed Forces of the Philippines, but
found no proof linking the murder of activists to a "national policy" as claimed by the left-wing
groups. On the other hand the report "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." Stricter
anti-terror laws have also caused some concern in recent years.

Under Arroyo's government, the Philippines has become second only to Iraq as the world's
riskiest place to report the news, with 23 journalists killed since 2003[62]

In her July 23, 2007 State of the Nation Address, Arroyo has set out her agenda for her last three
years in office, and called for legislation to deal with a spate of political killings that have
brought international criticism to her presidency. She promised to bring peace to the troubled
south, and also defended a controversial new anti-terrorism legislation. Arroyo told the joint
session of Congress that "I would rather be right than popular." 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.

In 2007, incidences of extrajudicial killings dropped 87%, with the decline attributed to the
creation of a special task force to handle the killings.
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.[66]

Pardons

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo granted pardon the following:

 Former President Joseph Estrada (2007) - convicted of plunder

 Pablo Martínez (2007) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.
 Rogelio Moreno (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino,
Jr.
 Rubén Aquino (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.
 Arnulfo Artates (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino,
Jr.
 Romeo Bautista (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino,
Jr.
 Jesús Castro (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.
 Arnulfo De Mesa (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino,
Jr.
 Rodolfo Desolong (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino,
Jr.
 Claro Lat (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.
 Ernesto Mateo (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.
 Filomeno Miranda (2009) - convicted for being involved in the Assassination of Benigno Aquino,
Jr.
 Former Congressman Romeo Jalosjos (2009) - convicted of rape

Controversies

Fertilizer Fund Scam

The Fertilizer Fund Scam is a Philippine political controversy involving accusations that
Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante diverted P728 million in fertilizer funds to the 2004
election campaign of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Hello Garci Controversy

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. According to Ong, the contents
of the tape prove 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 in 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.

On January 25, 2008, Pulse Asia survey (commissioned by Genuine Opposition (GO) per former
Senator Sergio Osmeña III) stated that 58% percent of Filipinos in Mindanao believed that
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cheated in the Philippine general election, 2004. 70% also
"believed that because of recurring allegations of election fraud, the credibility of the balloting
process in Mindanao was at a record low."

National Broadband Network Scandal

The Philippine National Broadband Network controversy is a political affair that centers upon
allegations of corruption primarily involving Former Commission on Elections (COMELEC)
Chairman Benjamin Abalos, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo regarding the proposed government-managed National Broadband Network (NBN) for
the Philippines and the awarding of its construction to the Chinese firm Zhong Xing
Telecommunication Equipment Company Limited (ZTE), a telecommunications and networking
equipment provider.

The issue has captivated Filipino politics since it erupted in Philippine media around August
2007, largely through the articles of newspaper columnist Jarius Bondoc of the Philippine Star. It
has also taken an interesting turn of events, including the resignation of Abalos as COMELEC
chairman, the alleged bribery of congressmen and provincial governors (dubbed as "Bribery in
the Palace"), the unseating of Jose de Venecia, Jr. as House Speaker, and the alleged
"kidnapping" of designated National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) consultant-
turned-NBN/ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada, Jr.
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 Office of the President of the Philippines

 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo official website
 Reporter's Notebook: Ang Palasyo Reporter's Notebook Special, December 4, 2007