ARROYO: When you do what is right, it can’t be a mistake. The court, which is an independent judicial body, ruled he should be arrested. So you have to follow the law. Estrada’s arrest precipitated mass actions, culminating in the march on the presidential palace. Some politicians said [the protesters] should march here so that I would [be forced to] resign. They hoped some generals would join.
I had total faith in our armed forces and also in the moral ascendancy of our government. So I didn’t capitulate. But not capitulating does not mean ignoring that people are in such a state of despair that they can be manipulated to join such a protest. Their poverty has to be addressed. The country is divided and needs healing.
In my mind, I have been building a bridge. Actually, President Estrada does not come from the lower classes. My father [former president Diosdado Macapagal] came from the lower class. He is the only president who came from the masses. Why do they identify me with the middle class? Because I have my Ph.D., I went to Georgetown University and I’m a president’s daughter. I realized [after the May 1 protest] that it is important to let the lower classes know that this government wants to serve them. I prefer to go to them in a very informal way–in my jeans and T shirt–so they can feel at home with me.
No. The Supreme Court ruled three times on the constitutionality of my succession.
In the case of Aquino, it was against a dictatorship. In the case of Estrada, people rose up against plunder. In the case of the mob that rioted on May 1, it was a power grab. We have to make sure that the conditions for a power grab are not there.
Reyes believed it was the only alternative to anarchy.
The impeachment [trial of Estrada] was a constitutional process, but many believe it was prostituted because of the failure to introduce damning evidence. That’s why people went to the streets.
That’s the reason I declared a “state of rebellion” and had those arrests made.
It was necessary to stop those who were plotting [against me].
Yes. I had known about the plot for quite some time. Even during Estrada’s presidency, there was supposed to be a coup. Estrada was going to be eliminated.
There were plans even before I became president. I was the constitutional successor to Estrada, and they didn’t want me to succeed.
We’ll see. My father taught me to do your best and let God take care of the rest. At the appropriate time, He’ll give me the right signal.
