On the Current Political Crisis
I was on 24 hour duty at Fabella Memorial Hospital, going about my business delivering babies (story for another entry) when I heard that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a State of National Emergency because of an impending coup attempt on the government. This wasn't the first time she's declared something like this and I really wasn't very surprised (mildly perhaps). It's been somewhat quiet on the political front for several months preceding the current crisis and the economy was really enjoying the peace. The peso and investor confidence in our markets were up. And then everything falls to pieces because someone wanted to grab power and finance a coup d' etat. The peso and stocks dive. The scene is once again uncertain.
I've always been a supporter of Gloria Arroyo and I think that even through this crisis, she is the best leadership option we have. I believe she was right in declaring a so called state of national emergency. I believe it when she says that there is an alliance between the right and the left. This alliance, if it's true and I believe it is, is very dangerous for us politically. Let us picture for a moment that they were successful in ousting GMA. Who would replace her? Noli de Castro? The masterminds won't let him. The smart financial backers have too much at stake for them to gamble on a perceived neutral personality with no political experience whatsoever. I think he would be thought of as a maverick. Who else then? A military junta? A communist state ruled by the leftists waving red flags in EDSA and UP? Susan Roces? There would be utter chaos should GMA be ousted from Malacanang and the outcome of such a scenario would be very, very uncertain. Their best bet would probably be de Castro.
I am however confused in what I really think about this state of "national emergency." I know this is not martial law. But then, why curtail press freedom, even partially? The raid on 2 local newspapers by local police sends a very strong signal to the international media that freedom of the press is being tampered with, even a little bit. I trust there must be strong reason for the raid but it still doesn't send a very good message that the government is concerned about the preservation of rights. I really don't know what to think about this. Overall, though, I think GMA is doing the right thing.
This has so far been the worst crisis to hit the administration of GMA but I don't think this will cause her fall. The middle class has so far been silent and the noisy ones have all been the leftists and the opposition groups. There may be some who genuinely think GMA is doing the country wrong (i.e., no vested interests in ousting GMA but just generally dislike her leadership, like my friend Pia here) but there really is no huge public outcry similar to the outcry preceding EDSA 1 and 2. The countryside is quiet. "Imperialist Manila" is at it again, they probably think. Such lack of public outrage will cause this attempt to topple the current administration to fail. I hope the protesters, the leftists, and the renegade military people realize just how much damage they are causing the country, politically and economically, and how much improvement GMA has done on the country's economy and how they have a direct hand in undoing so much work.
I've always been a supporter of Gloria Arroyo and I think that even through this crisis, she is the best leadership option we have. I believe she was right in declaring a so called state of national emergency. I believe it when she says that there is an alliance between the right and the left. This alliance, if it's true and I believe it is, is very dangerous for us politically. Let us picture for a moment that they were successful in ousting GMA. Who would replace her? Noli de Castro? The masterminds won't let him. The smart financial backers have too much at stake for them to gamble on a perceived neutral personality with no political experience whatsoever. I think he would be thought of as a maverick. Who else then? A military junta? A communist state ruled by the leftists waving red flags in EDSA and UP? Susan Roces? There would be utter chaos should GMA be ousted from Malacanang and the outcome of such a scenario would be very, very uncertain. Their best bet would probably be de Castro.
I am however confused in what I really think about this state of "national emergency." I know this is not martial law. But then, why curtail press freedom, even partially? The raid on 2 local newspapers by local police sends a very strong signal to the international media that freedom of the press is being tampered with, even a little bit. I trust there must be strong reason for the raid but it still doesn't send a very good message that the government is concerned about the preservation of rights. I really don't know what to think about this. Overall, though, I think GMA is doing the right thing.
This has so far been the worst crisis to hit the administration of GMA but I don't think this will cause her fall. The middle class has so far been silent and the noisy ones have all been the leftists and the opposition groups. There may be some who genuinely think GMA is doing the country wrong (i.e., no vested interests in ousting GMA but just generally dislike her leadership, like my friend Pia here) but there really is no huge public outcry similar to the outcry preceding EDSA 1 and 2. The countryside is quiet. "Imperialist Manila" is at it again, they probably think. Such lack of public outrage will cause this attempt to topple the current administration to fail. I hope the protesters, the leftists, and the renegade military people realize just how much damage they are causing the country, politically and economically, and how much improvement GMA has done on the country's economy and how they have a direct hand in undoing so much work.
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