June 27, 2004

The Philippine STAR, Opinion Page

It's GMA -- For Better 

Or For Worse

By Babe Romualdez

Last year at a PMA affair in Baguio, GMA declared that she was married to the country.  Well, now that has been confirmed by the people with a six-year mandate.  They are now waiting whether she can make their lives better or worse.  A majority of people are now prepared to give her that chance. 

Unfortunately for the opposition, the tide has now turned against them.  The events of the past days have already overtaken them.  The opposition's only other option is to use legal means to press their claims because people are just tired of polarized politics.  The threat of another People Power will not work this time. 

Already, there is a growing People Power fatigue in the country.  The people now want Economic Power and nothing less.  People have become weary after 18 years of a sporadic boom and bust economy aggravated by malingering political instability.  From here on in, the business of the Philippines should be business.  Politics should now be kept to a minimum.

What she will do in her first 100 days and the quality of Cabinet appointments will give us an indication of her commitment to this marriage.  Her new Cabinet will be a signal of her strong resolve to make the fundamental changes and reforms required to get us back on track.  She should get rid of some deadwoods like presidential advisers who are there not to give her good advise, but simply to influence--peddle their own personal interests.  

Widespread corruption is a lingering cancer that continues to ravage the body politic.  If she succeeds in bringing it down to at least 50 percent that would be a great boost in retaining revenues to balance the budget, pay our debts, provide needed services, build infrastructure, and attract major investments.  Today, we are ranked as the fourth most corrupt country in Asia.  If she can cut corruption down to the 10 percent level within the next six years--as what Thaksin Shinawatra did in Thailand--then that alone would be a great achievement.

We have entered the 21st century at a big disadvantage.  We have a budget deficit of P197.8 billion and our foreign debt has reached $61-B as of today.  Our 84-M population is still growing with 5-M people jobless.  

Round after round of oil price hikes and the corresponding increases of prices on basic commodities are making people poorer by the day.  Within three years, we will have an energy crisis if we do not do anything about it today.  Constitutional changes, particularly in the economic provisions, must be effected immediately if we want foreign investments to flow in.  Investors see the Constitution's economic provisions as the biggest stumbling block.  Let's face it, we can't be competitive in a globalized economy with medieval laws and 18th Century mindsets. 

We are now on our Fifth Republic and our 50-year old political system is just about to break down because of too much politics and the perennial political gridlock.  We must all reach a consensus on a system that will work for us in this century.  After the harrowing experience of the last few months, electoral reforms are absolutely needed more than ever.  The Comelec should either enter the modern Age of Computers or be abolished altogether.

Now that GMA has won her own term, she can finally be herself.  She can put her legendary taray, impatience, and toughness to good use.  Her impatience in getting things done and bearing down on her Cabinet will be extremely helpful because this country does not have the luxury of time.  In short, she no longer needs to please anyone for as long as she does what is right.  People will definitely appreciate that.

With a plurality of a mere four percent over FPJ, she will most certainly be taken to task by the opposition.  Fortunately or unfortunately for her, because she has no more excuses, she now has a solid political base to break the political gridlock and push her program of government.  The Administration has 14 of the 24 Senate seats, 181 congressmen of the 212 congressional districts, 64 governors of the 79 provinces, and 83 mayors of 119 cities. 

Most important of all, there are more people now who are prepared to give her a chance including people who were never for her, but desperately want things to get moving in the right direction.  Even Ping Lacson, who was her Number One Nemesis, back-pedaled (no pun intended) to ask the public to give her more space and a chance. 

Last December, an astrologer predicted that GMA was going to win by a slim margin.  He added that she will be given the honor of being the longest-serving female president with the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos.  That will be the legacy that she will leave behind.  Hopefully, this prediction will come true.

Being president of this country at this time is going to be hell.  None of her predecessors faced the problems that we face today.  We are more divided than we ever were.  With her plurality under a cloud of doubt, she must immediately show us all signs of being a "good president."  Achieving this in the shortest possible time will make the opposition claims of her stealing the Presidency irrelevant. 

Perhaps, the Media can give her a honeymoon, but most certainly the country can not because the clock keeps ticking at four babies born every minute and a debt payment of P1.7-Billion every 24 hours.  For better or for worse, GMA now has the mandate and the political base to make things work.  If she lacks the political will to make this marriage succeed then she will only have herself to blame.

Former Ambassador Ernie Maceda is reportedly in Washington, D.C. in a futile attempt to enlist US support for the opposition's claim of massive cheating in the last elections.  Our Washington firm informed us that no lobby firm is willing to take up the cudgels primarily because the White House has already recognized GMA's proclamation.  In fact, President Bush is already sending a personally-picked delegation, to include his top White House Filipino-American aide Susan Ralston, to represent him at GMA's inauguration.

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