Ramos: GMA future depends on economy

The STAR Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON – President Arroyo will serve her term up to 2010 as long as the Philippine economy remains strong and competitive, former President Fidel Ramos said here over the weekend.

"The economy is the tipping point. For the moment she’s okay and she will last as long as the economy can take it," Ramos told a gathering of Filipino-Americans here.

Although admitting that a "handful" of dissatisfied military officers and men wanted to pursue a drastic changeover in the government, Ramos said the faction does not speak for the vast majority of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) who remained devoted to their duties and loyal to the Constitution.

At the same time, the former president called for the immediate passage of an anti-terrorism law to allow law enforcement authorities the greater discretion to hold and investigate suspected terrorists for longer periods.

Ramos, who is on a private visit to the US, expressed his opinion before the gathering that efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution for a shift to a parliamentary form of government has been snagged by petty disagreements on how the Charter should be revised.

The former president made it clear that he had no intention of running for office in a parliamentary type of government.

"I am not campaigning now, (nor) in the near future or in the long term," he said.

Ramos characterized the current political situation in the Philippines now as "almost normal."

Explaining the word "‘almost," Ramos pointed out that Mrs. Arroyo still has to address the various issues against her.

On the bright side, Ramos said the country’s is doing well. "From my own perceptive not even a six percent annual growth is enough for us if our long-term ambition looking at the next 10 years is to alleviate poverty and lift the poor among us to at least a minimal quality of life, better than what they have now," he said.

Ramos stressed it is vitally important to help the poor and the needy since the sector is a fertile recruiting pool for criminal elements and terrorists.

The former president spoke before the gathering of Filipino-Americans here interspersing his speech with humor.

At one point, Ramos said he was glad to be named Fidel otherwise, he can be called "an infidel."

And he likened Charter change moves to a rigodon saying "in this dance you move forward, sidestep to right, go backwards, sidestep to left and 15 minutes later you’re still in the same spot."