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SONA 2009: The Real State of the Nation

Professor Roland Simbulan of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) has provided an overview of the 9-year Arroyo presidency.

Professor Simbulan compared Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo with the LOTR character Gollum, who will do everything just to keep the Ring of Power.

Prof. Simbulan's article, "GOLLUM IS HERE! Keeping Power at the Expense of the People and our Institutions", outlined the 5 major points that characterize the regime of Pres. Arroyo.

1. The military which is supposed to be an institution for the defense of the nation and the Filipino people, has become an institution for the preservation of personal power by the president. There is no distinction made between national security and personal security of the president.

2. Corruption at the highest levels of power has even become more entrenched, with the head of state and political allies leading/governing by negative example.

3. Manipulation and undermining of Philippine political and economic institutions in the quest for maintaining power.

4. Extrajudicial killings, disappearances, abductions and other crimes against the people have been perpetrated by minions of the state against critics and the democratic opposition, and sadly, it continues with impunity.

5. Foreign policy has been plunged into the abyss for getting international support to an unpopular regime.

You can read the full text of the article HERE.

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