Maria Ressa: Interviews new Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

Arroyo

CNN's Maria Ressa talks with the new Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo about her hopes for her administration in the wake of the ouster of former President Joseph Estrada.

MARIA RESSA: Mr. Estrada ... has not officially resigned, do you think this is a problem that can haunt you?

ARROYO: But the executive secretary has said that the resignation is academic because the Supreme Court has already declared him to be out of office. Everything we've done is part of the Constitution -- people empowerment is part of the Constitution.

MARIA RESSA: What about Mr. Estrada -- will you pursue the legal case against him?

ARROYO: There are already private cases and public cases filed against him. Of course the wheels of justice will have to keep rolling.

MARIA RESSA: You have to hold together a very unwieldy coalition that has helped bring you to power. How solid is your support base right now?

ARROYO: It's very important to keep the dialogue, to keep discussing and consulting. And that's why a lot of my time is taken up dealing with the various stakeholders in this transition.

MARIA RESSA: What is the hardest challenge that you face right now in terms of keeping the support base together?

ARROYO: Trying to make sure that the opinions are addressed, not necessarily to the satisfaction, full satisfaction of each one concerned but at least trying to get some kind of a synchronization of the various concerns.

MARIA RESSA: What are the key policy decisions you expect to make in the coming months?

ARROYO: Well, we have to meet with the most strategic sectors of the institutions and civil society. So the policy decisions would flow from the nature of the meetings. For instance, in the case of the national security meeting, one major policy decision there, aside from the consolidation of the security consideration, is the construction of the peace process. And then in the case of the ... in terms of the business community, the key message there is transparency and a level playing field. In the case of the basic sectors, the message is that they're not going to be marginalized.

MARIA RESSA: Do you think that you have the support of the people in this move?

ARROYO: I would like to get their support. I mean it's not a question of do I have their support or not. I must constantly try to seek that support.

MARIA RESSA: Last week has shattered the confidence of the Filipinos in the government institutions really, after the impeachment trial and all of that.

ARROYO: No, I don't, I don't think so. Because everything we've done is part of the Constitution. People empowerment is part of the Constitution. The Supreme Court is part of the institution. So the only part of the institution that the people lost confidence in is the impeachment process.

MARIA RESSA: The military was a key defection. When the military got involved with politics and people in '86, we saw numerous coup attempts after that, kinda the lure of politics and power. Do you expect this thing to be kind of a problem ... with this kind of thing?

ARROYO: I think they showed themselves to be utterly constitutional but because they did not stage a coup, they simply withdrew support from the incumbent president. And threw their support behind me.

MARIA RESSA: So you don't fear like coup attempts of our own ...

ARROYO: Well, you know, we should never be complacent. That's why it is always important to do consultations, and to have your ear on the ground.

MARIA RESSA: Do you think that there is a danger though of Filipinos, now this is the second time in history that Filipinos found that they lost faith in institutions, in the credible institutions, they took to the streets.

ARROYO: Yes, that's not dangerous, that's exemplary because both times they were bloodless. This is the second time we've done it. Had a peaceful revolution and this time, this second time because people power is institutionalized in our Constitution, this is Constitutional.

New Philippine president tries to 'hit the ground running'
January 21, 2001
Maria Ressa on the Philippines' political institutions on trial
January 17, 2001

Philippine House of Representatives (11th Congress)

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