Philippines’ Arroyo Accused of Graft

A group of opposition party members have filed a complaint which accuses President Gloria Arroyo and several people close to her of being involved in a bribery scandal.

Oppositionists led by former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona Jr. filed Tuesday a graft complaint before the Ombudsman against President Gloria Arroyo and three others for alleged involvement in the $330-million broadband network project with China’s ZTE Corp.

The scandal is nothing new. It first came to public attention it became known that a contract between the government and Chinese broadband provider ZTE might have been marred by bribery. Opposition leaders claim that the contract constituted a misspending of the nation’s money  and Arroyo has taken steps to cover up what exactly took place behind closed doors.

This is not the first time that a Philippine president has been accused of graft. Remember Mr. Estrada? As recently as 2004, there were allegations that Arroyo was involved in rigging the voting to assure she was elected for another term. Are these allegations just the opposition making noise and attempting to dislodge Arroyo and her party from power? There are more than a few criticisms of Arroyo, including the fact that The Philippines is second only to Iraq in the number of journalists killed last year. However, her economic policies have made her popular at home and her stance against terrorism makes her a favorite of the White House. It doesn’t look like Arroyo will be going anywhere soon.

Will The Manila Declaration Be Heard?

Activists in Manila have released a surprisingly unified and strong statement about the atmosphere of authoritarianism in East Asia. Pointing to some specific cases, as well as general situations, the group, which calls itself the Asean Human Rights Mechanism, has some well-known supporters. Former Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim calls the record of government abuses in East Asia “dismal and damning.”

The statement, known as the Manila Declaration, points the finger at authoritarian states like Myanmar, but also notes the lack of freedoms in more stable countries like Thailand, Singapore, and The Philippines.

Despite the strong and condemning rhetoric, the Manila Declaration supports peaceful solutions:

Efforts must be undertaken to resolve conflicts through peaceful means, and to ensure that marginalized and disenfranchised groups participate in civil affairs using their rights to speak, associate and assemble.

Whether the Asean Human Rights Mechanism and The Manila Declaration have any real effect remains to be seen. Former closed states like China and Vietnam have proved willing to trade some of their tight control for wealth. But with more trade comes more scrutiny. The more the international community watches a country, the more chances activists like those in Manila will be heard.