The remark is most significant coming not from the opposition but from an ally who, in July 2005, rescued President Arroyo while besieged with demands for her to resign – not only from civil society, the political opposition and the militants but from ten cabinet members who had resigned and other disaffected political allies.

Ramos cannot be suspected of having anti-Gloria political motive. He is not aspiring for any political position and he is president emeritus of the newly merged political party – the Lakas-Kampi-CMD of which the President is chairman. That he opted to air his mind openly – not within the party – speaks much of the President as the problem.

Ignoring

Obviously, President Arroyo does not see herself as the problem. Or, seeing, she sees herself as the solution. This she herself said in two landmark speeches – one, on Rizal Day in Baguio City on December 30, 2002; the other, at Clark Field in Pampanga on October 4, 2003.

In the first, she admitted, “I’m among the principal [core] figures in the divisive national events for the last two or three years”; so, she decided not to run for election in 2004 because “my political efforts [to strengthen the economy and to heal “the deep divisions within our society”] can only result in never ending divisiveness”.

That was most statesmanly. She saw herself at the core of the national problem; as a solution, she decided to step down after June 30, 2004.

But by October 4, 2003, she had failed to quicken economic development and to heal “the deep divisions in our society”. She saw the need to change society with herself as the solution; so, she changed her mind and decided to run in 2004 – remaining as the core of the problem.

She ignored calls for her to resign after the 2004 election. She ignored calls for change as the alternative to resignation. She ignored the option Ramos suggested in 2005 – for her to step down in 2007. Instead, she dug in to strengthen her grip on power. That is President Arroyo as the core of our problems.

Bad Governance

Bad governance is at the core of our problems as the people see it. This, Ramos cited in his June 18 speech:

The people’s “hunger for freedom from poverty, deprivation and bad governance” is manifested in “street protest by cause-oriented groups and ordinary Filipinos” and in their “discontent, anger and outrage toward the administration”. But that this “must be seen” as such and properly remedied, the administration has refused to do so.  

“With 2010 fast approaching, our people are again clamoring for good governance under the rule of law from those we elected to lead us,” Ramos said. The continuing clamor for good governance highlights its absence under the Arroyo administration.

Bad governance with its effects and consequences is not a new refrain. Ramos only confirmed what the opposition, the civil society and militant groups have been saying for the last eight years. 

Challenges

Ramos, against the backdrop of bad governance, spelled out the challenges President Arroyo must confront. He said:

“With precious time fleeting, PGMA must now make a clear and positive declaration to our people that she as President will transform herself and the nation, and not anymore delude our people.  

“The challenge to be confronted and fulfilled is a higher quality of life for all Filipinos – the sooner the better.”

While Ramos believes that it is not too late for the President to “transform, transcend and transfigure”, he has serious misgivings and doubt that she will change and make the changes that she has failed to do.

Ramos, like Arroyo’s critics, does not see much change. Like them, he encourages people’s movement for change: “… if not much change is happening now – because PGMA has failed to harness the opportunities afforded to her in the past eight years of her presidency – then, our people must persist in their pursuit of a better future.”

While spelling out the challenges, Ramos confronts PGMA with her sins: (1) she has been deluding the people; (2) she has failed to give the Filipinos a higher quality of life; and (3) she has failed to harness the opportunities at her disposal in the past eight years of her presidency. Failing as the solution, she has become the problem.

Obsession

With just one year before her nine-year presidency ends, it is impossible for President Arroyo to do what she has failed to do in the last eight years. But she is obsessed with her dream to make the Philippines a “strong republic” and a “first world” country by 2020. What does this mean? 

This translates to her staying in power. While her apologists in Malacañang are denying this, three converging events have uncovered the scheme – the merger of Lakas-CMD and Kampi, the passage of House Resolution 1109 to amend the Constitution via the constituent assembly, and the talks of her running for Congress in the 2010 elections.

If sustained by the Supreme Court, the Senate-less constituent assembly will establish a unicameral parliamentary form of government. As member of the Parliament and head of the ruling party, Arroyo will become prime minister without term limit.

The Problems

What really are our problems?

Ramos said people “hunger for freedom from poverty, deprivation and bad governance” – good governance being the solution. ”Arroyo must lead [suggesting she had failed to] in the mobilization of human resources and other equally valuable assets to lift the country from poverty.” In sum, bad governance is the mother of all our problems and Arroyo is the core.

Seen as the problem rather than the solution, Arroyo has long been asked to resign.  But she and her allies don’t believe so. Instead, they ignore the clamor for good governance blaming it on the Constitution. They are using their power to remain in power – change the presidential system of government to the unicameral parliamentary. That is another big problem and Arroyo is the core.

Ramos was not theorizing when he said: “Dictatorship, monopolies, and dynasties do not endure.  Neither do self-serving and distrusted national leaders.” He was referring to the tendency of Arroyo and her allies. This reality is a problem; Arroyo is the core.

Arroyo can de-core the problems if she accepts Ramos’ challenge – for her to stop her allies in the House from convening the constituent assembly and to “declare now her political intentions after her term ends next year” and use the remaining year of her presidency to “transform herself and the nation, and not anymore to delude the people”.

This is the same call from the opposition, business, civil society, cause-oriented groups, the Church and other sectors of society.  Will she the challenge? As she’s the core of the problems, she is also the core of the solutions.

("Comment" is Mr. Patricio P. Diaz' column for MindaViews, the opinion section of
MindaNews. Mr. Diaz is the recipient of a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the Titus Brandsma for his "commitment to education and public information to Mindanawons as Journalist, Educator and Peace Advocate." You may e-mail your comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

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