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The Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo spanned two terms from 20 January 2001 to 30 June 2010. She served the remainder of her predecessor Joseph Estrada's term after he was deposed, and she was elected to a full second term in 2004 which ended pursuant to the provisions of the 1987 Constitution. ==Overview== Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the presidency at noon on 20 January 2001, following the EDSA II Revolution which ousted the democratically-elected President Estrada. As she anticipated the revolt, she told Time International in a November 2000 interview that she planned to look to two predecessors as examples: "I will follow my father's footsteps in doing what is right, and God will take care of the rest. My father is my role model. My living role model is Cory Aquino. I am prepared." Although her recent predecessors had lived outside Malacañan Palace, Macapagal-Arroyo opted to return to her childhood home. The new President faced numerous challenges, including an unstable economy and violent counter-protests launched by Estrada's supporters. She was also accused of providing special treatment to the jailed former President. On 27 May 2001, Islamic militants abducted 20 hostages at a resort in the province of Palawan, and Macapagal-Arroyo was thrust into the ongoing battle between the government and the rebels. Several other kidnappings by various criminal gangs followed, and Macapagal-Arroyo officially adopted a hardline "no ransom" response to the rebels and launched military operations against them. Her administration was embarrassed, however, when it was revealed that several of the hostages families paid ransom to the kidnappers directly, with some claiming that officers of the Philippine Military received a portion of the funds. Macapagal-Arroyo's administration got another black mark when her consort First Gentleman José Miguel "Mike" Arroyo was accused of receiving bribes from telecommunications company ZTE that was seeking government-approved contracts. An economist, Macapagal-Arroyo developed a blueprint to lift the national economy out of its financial crisis. Looking back on her first year as President in 2002, she cited the country's economic survival as her greatest achievement, although she remained well aware that much work lay ahead, according to The Power and the Glory. "We have been able to survive, to have a higher growth rate than our neighbors," she said. "I dwell on what must be done. I am a very focused person. I don't focus on laurels, on feeling secure, feeling comfortable. Even on the day I was sworn in as president, I didn't say, 'Wow, I am now president,' I said, 'What should I do now?' " Despite the obstacles and various charges of impropriety directed at those close to her, Macapagal-Arroyo was elected to a full, six-year presidential term in May 2004. She edged out her closest competitor, Filipino actor Fernando Poe Jr., by one million votes. In her inaugural address, Macapagal-Arroyo vowed to create up to 10 million jobs in the next six years, balance the budget, improve tax collection, provide inexpensive medicine for the poor, and unite the country. "Our nation must embrace a vision of economic opportunity, social cohesion and always an ever-democratic faith.".〔As quoted in the 1 July 2004, edition of the International Herald Tribune〕 Macapagal-Arroyo again made international headlines in July 2004 when Filipino truck driver Angelo dela Cruz was kidnapped by the Islamic Army in Iraq. In defiance of requests by the United States' government, Macapagal-Arroyo honoured the rebels' demands to withdraw Filipino troops from the country. Later that month, she called for an end to political in-fighting in order to better focus on economic recovery. After former President Estrada declared the Philippines to be a "nation in distress," 〔Reported on CNN.com on 23 July 2004〕 Macapagal-Arroyo said in her State of the Nation Address: "Let us set aside political bickering and politicking for at least one year." She also used the annual speech to re-iterate her pledge to relieve poverty and promote economic growth. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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