No Answer to Arroyo's Prayers

For Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, it should have been a good day. On June 26, the devoutly religious Philippine President met with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, giving him a copy of a newly signed law banning the death penalty in the Philippines and earning from him a heartwarming "Well done." That sort of endorsement is political platinum in the Philippines, where more than 80% of the population is Catholic. But Arroyo's opponents back home weren't impressed. That same day they filed an impeachment complaint against her, and by week's end had submitted three more. So much for the sublime afterglow of her papal pat on the back.

The charges against Arroyo are similar to those made during last year's tumultuous impeachment drive: allegations that Arroyo cheated in the May 2004 presidential election, used money from illegal gambling in her campaign, suppressed political dissent and condoned the killings of journalists and leftist leaders. Arroyo has denied the charges and her allies in Congress defeated the previous impeachment effort, but the President remains badly bruised. A March poll found that just 29% of respondents were satisfied with her performance. The economy, though showing modest gains in recent months, is still shaky and too dependent on the $10 billion or so a year in remittances from Filipinos who have ventured abroad in search of better opportunities. Says John Forbes, an official with the American Chamber of Commerce: "The best description for the economy is quicksand."

Yet despite her problems, Arroyo's future may be slightly more stable. An expansion of the value-added tax she pushed through last year is producing higher-than-expected revenues to help refill the country's depleted treasury. Her congressional supporters say they have the numbers to defeat the impeachment bids. And while the opposition has a surplus of complaints, they lack a unifying candidate to oppose her. It's a weakness that isn't lost on the average Filipino. "Is there an alternative?" sighs Dencio Ugok, a taxi driver in Manila. It's hardly a rousing vote of confidence in Arroyo, but for now it will have to do.