Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

"Join me therefore as we begin to tear down the walls that divide.
Let us build an edifice of peace, progress, and economic stability."

Born: April 5, 1947
Position in History: Philippines: 14th President, Fifth Republic: 4th President
First Presidential Term: January 20, 2001 - June 30, 2004 (President Estrada's remaining term)
Second Presidential Term: June 30, 2004 - Present (President Arroyo's own term)
Duration of Term: 1257 days (first)

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the daughter of the late President Diosdado Macapagal. She was born in Manila where she lived until the age of four and then went to live with her maternal grandmother in Iligan, Mindanao. Arroyo stayed there for three years and then split her time between Mindanao and Manila until she was 11. She moved into Malacañan Palace with her father at the age of 14. At high school, Arroyo was a good student attaining top grades. She studied economics at Georgetown University, Washington DC for two years at the same time as Bill Clinton, whom she knew before returning to the Philippines. She graduated from Assumption College with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and later earned a Master of Arts Degree in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University. For a few years, Arroyo fulfilled her career goal and became a teacher. After marriage, she attended the University of the Philippines and obtained a PhD.

Arroyo entered the government under the Aquino administration as an assistant secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry. She also became executive director of the Garments and Textile Export Board, and steered the garments industry to become the top net dollar earner for the Philippines. Arroyo later rose to the rank of Undersecretary of Trade and Industry. She was elected to the Senate in 1992 and re-elected in 1995 and elected to the position of vice-president in 1998. Under the Estrada administration, Arroyo was appointed Secretary of Social Welfare and Development. This was a post she held until her resignation from the Cabinet on October 12, 2000, amidst the bribery and corruption allegations made against President Estrada.

Following EDSA II which resulted in President Estrada's step-down, the position of president was declared vacant by the Supreme Court and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was sworn in as president on January 20, 2001, by Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. She was elected present in her own right in 2004. In June 2005, a tape of a recorded wiretap conversation between President Arroyo and a COMELEC official during the election emerged. Arroyo has been accused of cheating in the election and there have been calls for her resignation from the growing number of protestors. In September however, the House of Representatives decided against proceeding with impeachment. A state of emergency was proclaimed in 2006, after a crushed coup attempt. During the crisis, the opposition, media and critics condemned the state of emergency comparing it to martial law under Ferdinand Marcos. There was criticism of apparently warrantless arrests and oppression of freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. The state of emergency was lifted one week later. Despite a presidency marred by coups and scandal, Arroyo insists on pushing through with amending the 1987 Constitution to switch to a more effective federal-parliamentary style government.