Different country....but it still seems she can't do anything right....but at least God is on her side.

From today's SCMP(subscription required). Both articles copied in full for those in the Philippines


Arroyo has time for Mickey but not for us, say workers

Several Filipino workers' leaders were outraged that Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo snubbed their community in Hong Kong, but found time to meet Mickey Mouse and have dinner with the city's movers and shakers.
Mrs Arroyo arrived in a private jet late on Saturday from the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum leaders' summit in South Korea to have a break with her family at Hong Kong Disneyland.


Accompanying her were husband, Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, two sons, Mikey and Dato, daughters-in-law Angela and Kakai, and three grandchildren, Mikaela Gloria, Eva Angelique and Eva Victoria. Flanked by minders and bodyguards, the Arroyos were given VIP treatment at the park and did not have to queue up.

Dressed in blue jeans and a casual sweater, Mrs Arroyo tried out the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride and the Jungle River Cruise, with her husband at her side. The couple slurped on Mickey Mouse ice-cream bars while watching shows such as 3-D versions of Disney cartoon characters.

They stayed until the Main Street parade was over.

The Philippine first couple are expected to fly back to Manila today on a commercial flight.

Mrs Arroyo began her day with a private Mass celebrated by the Catholic Diocese's chaplain for Filipinos, Father Emilio Lim, at her hotel suite in the Island Shangri-La hotel.

Father Lim had reminded the president in a homily "to do what you can do for the least of your brothers".

There are about 180,000 Filipinos in the city who work as domestic helpers.

Edwina Santoya, executive director of the Bethune House shelter for displaced domestic helpers, said she was surprised when a community dialogue with Mrs Arroyo was cancelled at the last minute, with no explanations given by the Philippine consulate.

"We were waiting for her, but instead she gave first priority to Disneyland," Ms Santoyo said.

Dolores Balladares, chairman of the United Filipinos in Hong Kong, said her group had already prepared a list of concerns, such as overcharging by recruitment agencies and the helpers' minimum pay in Hong Kong.


GMA in a tea cup

And also from the SCMP

There but for the grace of God goes president Arroyo believes divine intervention, not luck, has seen her survive host of crises

The heavens still seem to favour President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo, despite record low popularity and continuing calls for her to step aside.
How else to explain the events that have helped Mrs Arroyo maintain her grip on power?

Two of her most formidable political opponents suddenly died of natural causes - actor Fernando Poe Junior of a stroke last year and Senator Raul Roco, who succumbed to cancer in August.

Just as a scandal broke in June when vote-rigging allegations were pressed against Mrs Arroyo, Cardinal Jaime Sin, the only Catholic prelate able to put the heat on the president, died.

By chance, this August also was the turn of the Philippines to assume the rotating chairmanship of the United Nations Security Council summit. Mrs Arroyo used the occasion to immense political advantage by projecting herself to the world as a legitimately elected president.

And this month, when world crude oil prices were expected to hit new highs, they instead dropped, cushioning the impact of Mrs Arroyo's resented tax on oil and power.

Archbishop Fernando Capalla, who has just stepped down as head of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines - which governs the nation's largest church body - noted that "the good things are not due to the [Arroyo] administration".

Mrs Arroyo has not gone so far as to claim credit for her own good luck, but she has intimated that destiny was playing a hand. (She once told reporters it was God who made her run for the presidency.)

In speeches last week, Mrs Arroyo reminded Filipinos it was she, not the political opposition, who had God's backing.

"Those opposing said once we have the [value-added tax], the price of gasoline and diesel will shoot up, but this did not happen. Now the price of diesel is even lower than before the VAT was imposed ... this is no coincidence, it's providential," she said.

"I don't believe in coincidences, I believe in providence ... so let us follow God because he is showing us a lot of providential things."

Monsignor Capalla, however, did not see the hand of God in Mrs Arroyo's continued grip on power. Rather, he said, "maybe [the people] are tired" of again resorting to people power to remove her.

National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales doubted that people power could gather any steam before December 25. Filipinos wanted to enjoy their Christmas, he said.

But he conceded to the pro-Arroyo newspaper Philippine Star that the president's situation had "become a national security problem ... there is a clamour for change everywhere".

There are indicators that things will come to a head next year. Former president Fidel Ramos, whose backing helped save her government from collapse in July, publicly told Mrs Arroyo to cut her term short by next year to prevent political chaos.

That all was not well between the two allies was recently seen in Mr Ramos' "respectful request" for Mrs Arroyo to clarify if he was under surveillance as a suspected coup plotter.

Mrs Arroyo also has alienated much of the media by branding them "bad boys". Plotting and recruiting by retired military officers is intensifying. Junior officers, many of whom have been agitating for Mrs Arroyo to answer the fraud changes, are particularly vulnerable to recruitment.

Mrs Arroyo is also likely to face increasing political pressure from the church now that the bishops have elected Archbishop Angel Lagdameo as their new leader. He recently advised Mrs Arroyo in a closed-door meeting to take demands for her resignation into account.