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Philippines' Arroyo faces snags ahead of new term

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, left, greets supporters in Vigan, Ilocos Sur Province, in the Northern Philippines yesterday. Incumbent president Arroyo has won a fresh six-year mandate to lead the country and is expected to be inaugurated by Congress within the week. PHOTO: EPA

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo prepared on Monday for a new six-year term in which she plans to revive the Philippine economy, but questions over the credibility of her mandate threatened to cloud her first weeks in office.

A marathon tally by a congressional panel that ended on Sunday gave the US-trained economist a narrow victory over film star rival Fernando Poe in May 10 elections, paving the way for her official proclamation later this week.

"I think from day one, there's not going to be a honeymoon for the president," Arroyo spokesman Mike Defensor told reporters. "It's going to be a continuing fight."

Hundreds of steel spikes appeared on roads across the Philippine capital early yesterday, flattening the tires of more than 100 vehicles, in acts of sabotage that officials blamed on political tension.

At least 360 spikes -- fashioned from 10cm nails and concealed in paper wrappings -- were recovered from all over metropolitan Manila yesterday after they blew out the tires of at least 128 vehicles, said Ligaya Damaso of the Metro Manila Development Authority.

Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the incident was part of "destabilization efforts ... by troublemakers" following last month's elections.

Metropolitan Manila police chief Ricardo de Leon said police have no suspects yet, but that there was a general impression that the incident was politically motivated and that the perpetrators wanted to create anarchy.

The opposition, which says Arroyo cheated her way to victory, can still contest the result in Congress in the next few days or take the battle to the Supreme Court. But her inauguration was certain given her majority in Congress, analysts said.

"The only thing that they can do at this point is outside the Supreme Court and the Congress," said political analyst Joel Rocamora, referring to planned protests by some opposition groups and rumors of coup attempts against the government. "And even that, I don't think they have the capability at this point."

The military is on alert for possible unrest, with memories still fresh of an attempted coup by army officers last July and the "people power" protests that turfed out Poe's friend Joseph Estrada in 2001, paving the way for Arroyo's first term.

Police and military bomb disposal experts defused two bombs in Manila on Sunday, one in the canteen of the defense department and the other outside the interior department, officials said, adding that they did not know who planted the explosives.

Opposition politicians have said Arroyo, 57, will be a bogus president unless she agrees to re-open election returns to check what they said was huge cheating behind her win by 12.9 million votes to Poe's 11.8 million, a three percent margin.

"I think we have succeeded in telling the sordid story of this fraudulent election," opposition Senate leader Edgardo Angara said. "She will have a formal proclamation but it will be a fractured mandate, almost an incredible mandate."

Rocamora said the opposition had managed to raise sufficient doubts over the election to undermine Arroyo's mandate, making it important for her to make a strong start in key areas such as electoral reform and cutting the huge budget deficit.
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