Ramos doubts ‘People Power’ vs Arroyo possible

The proclamation of President Arroyo as the winner in the May 10 elections is unlikely to trigger "EDSA-type" massive street protests.

Former President Fidel Ramos bared his post-election assessment during a press conference yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before he left for Tokyo, Japan to attend an Asian leaders’ conference.

"There is no significant people power support, even if there are constant clamors by the defeated parties to gather together to protest. There is quite a bit of noise being generated of course by the losers, but this is scattered," he said.

After a week-long delay, Congress, sitting in joint session as the National Board of Canvassers, is just beginning to canvass the votes for president and vice president in the hotly contested elections.

Ramos vowed to lead moves against any attempt to oust the elected president of the country "by anyone who may be availing of the election events as the excuse to take shortcuts or violate the law."

"Because to me, that would be in the nature of a coup attempt," he said.

Ramos said that there are legal "mechanisms" to address complaints of fraud, even as he objected to attempts by some groups to misrepresent the fraud committed in one town as proof of nationwide fraud.

"But massive fraud in that little town does not represent the situation in the country. There are also mechanisms and recourses open to those that have complaints. And these are well known. As far as the presidential candidates are concerned, they can go all the way to the Supreme Court. But that already would be a post-proclamation protest under the constitution and the law," he said.

Ramos said he believes the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are in a better position now to preempt events like the seizure of the Oakwood Hotel on July 27, 2003, by a group of soldiers led by junior officers.

Ramos was also encouraged by signs that the political bitterness of the campaign had been reduced.

"Our people are now anxious to move on and resume their daily lives and compete in the economy because it is still the economy which is the most important factor in our national lives," he said.

He downplayed police intelligence reports about an alleged plan by lawmakers from the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) to stage a walkout during the canvassing.

"If the PNP says there is a possibility, it is just a possibility. But it does not mean it will happen. That is the way law enforcers, investigators, prosecutors and intelligence agents process information, because there is a lot of raw information out there. But to convert raw information into actionable intelligence, you have to go through the process of analysis, verification from other sources and observation on the ground," he said.

The globetrotting former president left at 9:30 a.m. yesterday aboard Japan Airlines Flight JL—746 to address the 10th International Conference on the Future of Asia. Among those expected to attend the conference are Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and Malaysia Prime Minister Abdullah Bin Ahmad Badawi. He will return on June 4.

Ramos, who has been described as the country’s top salesman, is also heading a Philippine business council delegation that will meet with its Japanese counterparts. With him is Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) director general Lilia de Lima and Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon.