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A paper tiger

By Graham Cooke - posted Tuesday, 13 June 2006


Sadly, what should be a dispassionate debate, crucial to the future of the nation, has become embroiled in politics. The argument that a parliament would be better able to formulate and carry through policies for the long-term good of the country was gaining ground until the intervention of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

She pronounced herself in favour of the change - under certain conditions, including that the system should be introduced almost immediately, that it should consist of just one legislative chamber, and that there should be a transition period until elections in 2010 during which she would hold the roles of both president and prime minister.

Her political opponents immediately saw this as a power grab, and a backdoor way of extending her term - she is due to stand down in 2007 - while the unicameral nature of her proposal was a way of disposing of the Senate, which has been a source of troublesome opposition to her.

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Arroyo has effectively stalled the movement towards constitutional change - which given the Byzantine nature of Filipino politics may have been her intention all along - leaving the country with a stagnating, discredited administrative structure to go with its economy.

That presents a dangerous final option. Groups within the military, including middle-level career officers who are disgusted with political corruption and the failure of their own commanders to pacify the insurgency, may feel they have a role to play. It is a disturbing thought and one that other countries with interests in the region, including Australia and the United States, cannot afford to ignore.

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About the Author

Graham Cooke has been a journalist for more than four decades, having lived in England, Northern Ireland, New Zealand and Australia, for a lengthy period covering the diplomatic round for The Canberra Times.


He has travelled to and reported on events in more than 20 countries, including an extended stay in the Middle East. Based in Canberra, where he obtains casual employment as a speech writer in the Australian Public Service, he continues to find occasional assignments overseas, supporting the coverage of international news organisations.

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Asian Development Bank
National Economic and Development Authority

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