Amid
rampant corruption and widespread hunger
GMA says economy is improving?
 Following
a survey that gave the administration a slightly lower negative
satisfaction rating, two unflattering poll reports concerning the
Arroyo government were released this week.
The
first was on a study conducted by Hong Kong-based Political and
Economic Risks Consultancy (PERC), which pegged the Philippines
as the most corrupt economy in Asia. The Philippines got a 9.40
score, the lowest score among 13 countries that PERC included in
the survey using a grading system ranging between zero and 10 as
best and worst scores, respectively. The poll is based on perceptions
by foreign businessmen operating across the region. The Philippines
has taken the distinction from Indonesia, which was deemed as Asia’s
most corrupt country in last year’s survey.
The
second was a survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS) on hunger incidence
in the country, which showed that some 3.4 million families, or
a record-high of almost a fifth (19%) of Filipino households, have
experienced “involuntary hunger” in the first quarter
of 2007 (see SWS survey here. http://www.sws.org.ph/pr070319.htm).
Both
surveys have pulled the rug underneath President Arroyo, who has
been frequently extolling the supposed economic gains under her
administration. The reports also contrast an earlier survey by SWS
showing a slightly improved – but still negative – satisfaction
rating of President Arroyo. Malacanang had previously hailed the
slightly lower dissatisfaction score of -4, claiming it was indicative
of public recognition of how Arroyo tried to uplift the lives of
common Filipinos.
Sans
the spin, Genuine Opposition spokesperson Adel Tamano had said it
most aptly, saying, “the situation with President Arroyo is
that things have gotten so bad that with a -4 satisfaction rating
they (Malacañang) are already very happy with that.”
Prevalent hunger and pervasive corruption are, of course, undeniable
sources of public dissatisfaction.
Using
libel to muzzle critics in the media
Members and allies of the Arroyo family seem to have the proclivity
of using criminal libel to get back at the critical press.
Last
March 7, on-line news-magazine Newsbreak editor Gemma Bagayaua was
arrested and detained over a P100-million libel suit filed by administration
senatorial candidate and Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit”
Singson. The libel suit stemmed from a February 12 Newsbreak article
analyzing the changes in political factions surrounding Mrs. Arroyo.
The
article, “Where Factions Thrive: The Arroyo Government Is
Dominated by Hard-Core Power Players,” written by managing
editor Glenda Gloria, identified Singson as one of five persons
who helped Mrs. Arroyo survive an election-rigging scandal that
would have likely led to her ouster.
In
December last year, the President’s husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo,
filed libel charges against five Newsbreak journalists in connection
with an article that appeared in the magazine three years ago.
The
arrest and detention of Newsbreak reporters and editors has been
deemed as the latest case of an enduring effort by the administration
to harass and muzzle the press. According to the National Union
of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), the First Gentleman alone
has already filed libel charges against 43 journalists belonging
to seven different media organizations.
In
response to the administration’s use of criminal libel suits,
a coalition composed of more than 600 journalists and 30 local and
foreign international media freedom organizations has issued a joint
petition calling for the decriminalization of libel.
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