Maria Ressa on the Philippine defense chief's longing for the boredom of stability

Maria Ressa

CNN's Maria Ressa is in Manila, Philippines covering the events surrounding the new presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She interviewed Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado about the tumultuous past events of the past three months.

MARIA RESSA: What was the turning point against Joseph Estrada?

MERCADO: Well, I think, you know I've been going around the military camps talking to the officers, making public statements that the armed forces would remain neutral and should remain neutral. We should not participate in a partisan manner and I have been assuring the armed forces, 'We will not use you to stay in power ... don't be used by the opposition to end the political dynamics of today.'

That's possible because there was a trial going on and we kept telling them, 'Let's allow the process to be finished. There's a trial. Evidence is being presented, and there will be a chance to refute the, respect the decision of the Senate.' But this, unfortunately, this particular process collapsed.

I think the turning point of all of these things was when the impeachment trial stopped and ground to a halt. The fact that there was no certainty that the House was going to change the 11 prosecutors that walked out left us in a state of suspended animation. There's nothing worse, not only for the military, for security, but for business, than being in a state of suspended animation. So something's got to give, so goes the song. So something had to be done.

Last Wednesday ... evening, I was in Malacanang (the presidential palace), in the palace, with the chief of staff. Then I told him let's discuss this matter. Let's talk about this seriously, let's sit down and look at our options. So we were scheduling a meeting, but unfortunately it didn't happen the next day, it happened Friday.

Some media men were beginning to smell things, and I remember three media men who were in my office the night before were asking me, I said, 'No, if you want to wait for us to move, you'll be waiting in vain.' That was the story the next day. But they were teasing me when they were leaving, they were saying, 'We know something is in the offing.' I just told them I think it will be best that we leave it as it was. The element of surprise is very critical in this matter.

I guess that was the true turning point. Prior to that, I think, we began to have a heavy feeling about this particular case when bank records were being opened already. And even without the defense refuting it, it looked very credible. It seemed almost incontrovertible. I think that was a real turning point. It looked like the case was not going to go by way of the president. But the vote indicated that it was basically a political exercise. And that the people may not really agree with that particular verdict.

RESSA: How important was that brown envelope?

MERCADO: It was Friday morning when this thing happened, I went to the palace, and the president called me, his legal panel was there, and they told us that they were going to agree to open the envelope. They were beginning to cut the losses already. It's a retreat but it was hoped to stem the tide. But the sad thing about it, I was telling him you've got to do this now. And the president was saying, not tomorrow. Maybe tonight. But he had to do it quickly the moment things unraveled.

RESSA: Was it the unsealing of the envelope, was that the key thing

MERCADO: It was, it's many things, they were piling up little by little. I guess the moment revelations were made, and more revelations were coming out, it became readily apparent that ... there are many things that you cannot hide, and this is the beginning of the unraveling of the Estrada administration.

RESSA: That trial was watched by millions of people. Do you think they will demand an end to it?

MERCADO: I guess it is difficult to determine, to second-guess the mood of our people, but I think most of us feel a sense of relief. But at the same time, you're torn by the other requirement of compelling a judicial process. I think that would be the more difficult and sticky problem that we have to resolve. I remember, when we were in the Senate, with President Estrada, when he was a senator, that was when we passed the law against plunder. We made it so that corruption in the hundreds of billions (of pesos), or beyond 50 billion, had to be a crime of such proportion that it deserved capital punishment. Unfortunately, the irony of it all is that the president who might be charged with plunder was one of those who voted for this particular measure when he was a senator.

RESSA: What do you think will happen to him now?

MERCADO: I guess the more difficult thing is that he has to somehow prepare and do something to make the legacy a little more kind to him. I guess one of the problems of the president was that, and it's the problem of many politicians, the apex, or the ultimate goal of most politicians, is to be president, or prime minister, whatever, the highest post. I think the lesson I learned from this particular event is that it should not be your goal. The goal is to leave a legacy and being president is only an instrument. It's the biggest and most powerful instrument to leave that legacy. But if you're objective is to be president, you begin to say, I'm already president, I can't do anything, that's when the hubris comes in. You begin to feel that you can do anything, that because you're president, you're to be exempted from certain requirements. And this comes sometimes in small things, and then it begins to grow in your mind. And in the end, you will find that it is to your undoing.

RESSA: He hasn't resigned yet, do you think that will be a problem?

MERCADO: I guess, you know, like the four stages of death, denial, anger, bargaining and acceptance, he had a very long denial period. And the anger and the bargaining were all fused into one because when I was talking to him on the phone, when Gen. Reyes and myself were sitting together and we were talking to him on the phone, and we were telling him and I was telling him, 'Mr. President, the entire armed forces hierarchy has already decided. This is a serious problem for you.' And he was still telling me, 'Maybe we can have the snap election. maybe we can, I'm not going to run, but let's have a snap election. Propose this.' But it was too late already.

RESSA: How important was the military?

MERCADO: The military plays, has played, a very important role here. But the long-term danger to this is the weakening of our democratic institutions. We have a situation here where the intervention of the military is welcome. But going back to our history, one of the most difficult things that we had to do was bring back the military to the barracks. And this had to happen after martial law. We all remember the coup d'etats that happened as a consequence of this politicization of the military.

Today, it's different. I think the armed forces has been playing a different role. But at the same time, while we're happy that the military has moved, the church as an institution has helped, and our people were the main players. I believe it is time for us to strengthen our democratic institutions. We've got to be a nation wherein our institutions with rules spelled out, are the ones that solve our political problems. We don't want to see a situation wherein the streets are the venue where we have discussions on very vital issues of our country. We'd like to see institutions stronger. But it will take time. But in the meantime, our people are the ones who are speaking, and this is participative democracy. But it's a thin line you cross between chaos and anarchy.

RESSA: Has "people power 2" strengthened or weakened democracy?

MERCADO: I think it goes both ways. If we stuck by the institutions alone, the people would have lost faith in these institutions and in the end, it will also bring us trouble. Those who want to destroy the entire system, those who are saying, let's bring down the system and change it entirely will have a very strong argument. But at the same time, it is important that while these institutions are growing, that they should be nurtured, that they should be strengthened. We should not have a situation where every time we disagree with our leader, a simple act of going to the street or having the military move will be utilized (or) we will end up being more politically unstable.

RESSA: Mrs. Arroyo -- how would you assess her support base now?

MERCADO: I think her support base will be strong because people feel good, at this stage, will be speaking only of one thing, reconciliation, unity, and these are the terms that you will hear in the coming weeks. But the problems that she faces are really daunting. They have to be dealt with. There are no quick magical solutions to these particular problems and they would require the cooperation of all sectors.

But if there is anything we are happy about "the patient," we are out of the emergency ward, already. We are out of the operating table, we are in the recovery room. And I guess if things don't turn out badly, we might just be moved out to our ward and be discharged soon enough.

RESSA:Does she have the support of the military?

MERCADO: Yes. From the very beginning, we have stated that the armed forces, the military establishment, will support duly constituted authority. She will have the backing of the armed forces, the military establishment. We have no doubt about it.

RESSA: When the military decided to abandon, leave Mr. Estrada, again that's a double-edged sword. As an institution, in a sense, is this not a constitutional coup of some sort?

MERCADO: Well, if you come down to brass tacks, this is indeed a coup. A constitutional coup because you have the entire armed forces going against the chain of command, going against their commander-in-chief and taking upon itself that particular decision. However, it is not a simple grab for power because the people are backing it up. And there has been a true degradation of the capacity to govern on the part of the commander-in-chief. And so it's not a simple cut and dry situation wherein you can call it and label it a coup because it is truly an effort by the population that was supported by the military. The military merely served here as a catalyst. Of course, it was the most important element that was needed to be able to wrap it up. It happened, but we hope that in the future we may depend more on the institutions rather than extra constitutional actions that are undertaken by the military.

RESSA: What do you see in the days ahead?

MERCADO: Well, we are hoping that there will be real signs of stability. Hopefully they will manifest itself in the foreign exchange rate. Maybe the stock market will perk up a little bit, maybe the ratings that we are getting from companies, groups that analyze risks, would improve. Maybe we can get the garbage out of our streets finally and live normal lives again. Oh how I long for the boredom of stability. I have been a participant in this ... I have been riding this roller coaster for a long, long time since I was a student participating in political activities, even before martial law, during martial law and then after that EDSA. We were in EDSA I. This is EDSA II. This is a roller coaster. We've gone through that roller coaster ride that even as I look where you're upside down, I'm looking forward to this ride stopping and me just getting to relax.

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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