Political tensions continue after Philippine state of emergency ends

The immediate purpose of Arroyo’s decree was to forestall planned anti-government protests on February 28, coinciding with the anniversary of the so-called “Peoples Power” overthrow of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986. Under the state of emergency, the administration was given draconian powers to arrest without warrant, ban rallies and crack down on the media.

Despite the ban on protests, former president Corazon Aquino led a 5,000-strong demonstration and called for Arroyo to resign. Aquino’s involvement with moves to remove Arroyo is a sign of deep rifts in ruling circles in Manila. In 2001, Aquino was a key supporter of moves that ousted elected president Joseph Estrada and installed Arroyo in what was hailed as another “Peoples Power” movement.

Behind the conflict are sharp differences over changes to the country’s constitution. The proposal to amend the constitution emerged last year amid a deep crisis of the presidency, which was besieged for months over election rigging allegations and accusations of corruption involving Arroyo’s family.

As a campaign to impeach Arroyo gathered pace, one of her key backers, former president and military chief Fidel Ramos, proposed to transform the government from a presidential to a parliamentary system. A prime minister chosen by parliament would head the government while the presidency would be reduced to a secondary role. Ramos put forward the plan both as an alternative to the impeachment proceedings and as a solution to the country’s continual plunge into political crisis.

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http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/mar2006/phil-m13.shtml