Asia Buzz: Is She Tough Enough?

Thursday, August 30, 2001

In her tumultuous rise to the presidency of the Philippines, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo proved she could be a steely politician. Now she needs to show her mettle as a leader.

Arroyo has been quick to adopt get-tough policies with her political opponents, her ousted predecessor, and common criminals. She has also taken an appropriately hard line when dealing with the Abu Sayyaf group, the radical Muslim separatist thugs who have been kidnapping and murdering foreign tourists, missionaries and local villagers in the archipelago's southernmost islands.

Despite repeated and stepped-up military campaigns against Abu Sayyaf over the past two years, this criminal gang's campaign of terror continues unabated. They have escaped from seemingly inescapable traps laid by soldiers and always seem to be a step ahead of their pursuers. Is it because they are brilliant jungle fighters? Or is it because they are heroes to the local people and so can depend on their aid and intelligence?

Hardly. According to several witnesses, including a priest, who have testified before a congressional committee investigating why a series of military operations against the gang have failed, it's because members of the military and a leading official on the island where the kidnappers are based, are in cahoots with the outlaws. The official has strongly denied the charges and has dubbed his accusers "insane." The military has yet to respond to accusations that its soldiers took bribes to let the kidnappers escape with their hostages.

The congressional inquiry isn't over. In a just society the accused are always innocent until proven guilty. But the ongoing problem of the Abu Sayyaf and the charges being made against members of the military and some politicians is only burnishing an image of the Philippines as a dangerous, lawless and corrupt country in the perception of the world.

President Arroyo needs to act, and act soon. There is no time to wait for the results of a congressional probe that could drag on for several more weeks or months. She should immediately start rotating out the soldiers and commanders in the area. In doing so, the President should publicly state that no wrongdoing has been conclusively proven against anyone. But in the interests of ending this reign of terror, freeing the hostages and increasing the security of the villagers, the troops and officials in the area will be transferred out until the accusations against them are sorted out.

It's never an easy job for a President to go up against rogue elements in his or her political and security apparatus. It may, in fact, be the toughest aspect of running any Asian country at this point in time. But President Arroyo has cultivated an image of a tough leader. Is she tough enough?