Sunstar Summary & Analysis
The general political climate, as what can be seen, in the Sunstar editorial cartoons of the
Arroyo administration is marred by scandals, inefficiencies and threats of impeachments. In the
last three years of the Arroyo administration it faced issues with great magnitude such as the
Oakwrood mutiny, NBN-ZTE deal, impeachment complaint, Typhoon Pepeng and Ondoy among
others.
In the Oakwood mutiny it reflects the inefficiency of the Arroyo administration to address
the pleas of the soldiers such as the corruption in AFP and the substandard equipment and
weapons bought by the government. Corruption in AFP is rampant and the coup plotters together
with LtSg. Antonio Trillanes.
The NBN-ZTE deal reflects the nepotism of the Arroyo administration wherein the first
gentleman Mike Arroyo was implicated by Lozada as the perpetrator of the crime. It can be
implied in this incident that the first gentlemen wields so much power, even without being
explicitly said in the constitution, such that he has the ability to effect policy and participate in
major government deals as the representative of the president. Further this was not the first time
that the first gentleman was implicated by corruption issues. For example he was also implicated
to the substandard deal of helicopters to be used by the Philippine National Police.
The impeachment complaint against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo takes its
root in the alleged cheating of the 2004 Presidential Election. There are at least five
impeachment complaints that are filed against here in Congress however all these efforts did not
come into fruition. This reflects the power that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yields
over the Congress and even to the extent over the Supreme Court.
The inefficiency of the Arroyo administration has been manifested countless times but no
other issue that underscores this inefficiency than Typhoon Pepeng and Ondoy. Typhoon Pepeng
affected at least 80,000 individuals, killed at least 500 individuals and damaged more than P10.4
billion worth of crops and livelihoods. The Typhoon Ondoy killed at least 700 individuals and
damaged $1.09 billion of crops. The Arroyo administration had been criticized due to their
inefficiency and corruption in the government wherein budgets supposedly listed as standard are
bought as substandard.
