Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, making her the country's second female president. Some key aspects of her presidency included assuming office after President Estrada was ousted, initiatives to improve the economy, attempts at constitutional reform, controversies over alleged election rigging and corruption scandals, and maintaining close ties with key allies like the United States. Her presidency faced significant opposition and was marked by various political crises and allegations of abuse of power.

1. Gloria
Macapagal-
Arroyo
Presidency

2. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
 Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal
 (born April 5, 1947)
 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010
 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001
 She was the country's second female president (after Corazón
Aquino)
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the presidency at noon on
January 20, 2001, following the EDSA II Revolution which ousted
the democratically-elected President Estrada. Arroyo assumed
office the same day as US President George W. Bush.

3. First Term (2001-2004)
The state of rebellion declared is a government
declaration that suspends a number of civil rights
for a short period of time. It is a form of martial law
that allows a government to suppress
protest, detain and arrest people, search private
property, read private mail, and listen to phone
conversations using wiretaps - all without legal
warrants.

4. 2001 Midterm Elections
The 2001 legislative elections and local elections were
held in the Philippines on May 14, 2001 - four months
after Arroyo took office. Independent senatorial
candidate Noli de Castro, a former television anchor
of TV Patrol of ABS-CBN was announced as the
topnotcher. This is the first synchronized national and
local elections held after the ouster of Former
President Joseph Estrada in January due to a military-
backed civilian uprising (popularly known as EDSA II).

5. Oakwood mutiny
The Oakwood mutiny occurred in the Philippines
on July 27, 2003. A group of 321 armed soldiers
who called themselves "Bagong Katipuneros" led
by Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala and Lt. Antonio
Trillanes IV of the Philippine Navy took over the
Oakwood Premier Ayala Center (now Ascott
Makati) serviced apartment tower in Makati City to
show the Filipino people the alleged corruption of
the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration. They
also stated that they saw signs suggesting that the
President was going to declare martial law.

6. 2004 Presidential Election
 In December 2002, Arroyo made the surprise
announcement that she would not seek a new term in the
Philippine general election, 2004.Ten months
later, however, she reversed her position and declared her
intention to seek a direct mandate from the people, saying
"there is a higher cause to change society... in a way that
nourishes our future".
 Arroyo faced a tough election campaign in early 2004
against Estrada friend and popular actor Fernando
Poe, Jr., senator and former police general Panfilo
Lacson, former senator Raul Roco, and Christian evangelist
Eddie Villanueva. Her campaign platform centered on a
shift to a parliamentary and federal form of government, job
creation, universal health insurance, anti-illegal drugs, and
anti-terrorism.

7. Second Term (2004-2010)
 June 30, 2004- Arroyo took her oath of office
 She chose to first deliver her inaugural address at the Quirino Grandstand in
Manila before departing to Cebu City for her oath taking
 February 24, 2006- The declaration of Proclamation No. 1017
 Through the Department of Education, the President suspended classes in
elementary and high school levels. In response, colleges and universities
suspended classes. By virtue of PP 1017, she declared a State of Emergency for
the whole country in an attempt to quell rebellion. The government's first move
after the declaration was to disperse demonstrators, particularly the groups
picketing along EDSA. Former Philippine president Corazon Aquino was among
those that protested, along with leftist and extreme right activists. A number of
public figures were reported to have been arrested.
 May 14, 2007- Legislative and local elections in the Philippines
 Positions contested included half the seats in the Senate, which are elected for
six-year terms, and all the seats in the House of Representatives, who were
elected for three-year terms. The duly elected legislators of the 2007 elections
joined the elected senators of the 2004 elections to comprise the 14th Congress of
the Philippines.

8.  November 29, 2007- The Peninsula Manila Rebellion
 Detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, General Lim and other Magdalo
(mutineers) officials walked out of their trial and marched through the streets
of Makati City, called for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo, and seized the second floor of The Peninsula Manila Hotel along
Ayala Avenue. Former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona also joined the
march to the hotel.
 October 13, 2008- the 4th 97-page impeachment complaint against President
Arroyo was filed at the House of Representatives of the Philippines with the
required endorsements by Party list Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro
Casiño and Liza Maza
 October 25, 2007- Arroyo granted a pardon to Joseph Estrada
 in the wake of the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town, President Arroyo
placed Maguindanao under a state of martial law, Executive Secretary
Eduardo Ermita announced on the morning of December 5, 2009.
Malacañang has suspended the writ of habeas corpus in the province except
"for certain areas," enabling the military to make arrests without court
intervention. This constitutes the first declaration of martial law in the
Philippines since 1972, when then-president Ferdinand Marcos imposed
military rule over the entire country
 November 30, 2009- President Arroyo announced on the Philippine
Broadcasting Service her congressional bid for the second district of
Pampanga

9. Domestic Policies
 Economy
 Arroyo, a practicing economist, has made the economy
the focus of her presidency. Based on official (National
Economic and Development Authority) figures, economic
growth in terms of gross domestic product has averaged
5.0% during the Arroyo presidency from 2001 up to the
first quarter of 2008. This is higher than in the
administration of the previous recent presidents: 3.8%
average of Aquino, 3.7% average of Ramos, and 3.7%
average of the Joseph Estrada administration.
 A controversial expanded value added tax (e-VAT)
law, considered the centerpiece of the Arroyo
administration's economic reform agenda, was
implemented in November 2005, aiming to complement
revenue-raising efforts that could plug the country's large
budget deficit.

10. Charter change
In 2005, Arroyo initiated a movement for an
overhaul of the constitution to transform the
present presidential-bicameral republic into a
federal parliamentary-unicameral form of
government. At her 2005 State of the Nation
Address, she claimed "The system clearly needs
fundamental change and the sooner the better.
It's time to start the great debate on Charter
Change".
In late 2006, the House of
Representatives shelved a plan to revise the
constitution through constituent assembly.

11. Executive Order No. 464 and
calibrated preemptive response
In late September 2005, Arroyo issued an executive
order stating that demonstrations without permits
would be pre-emptively stopped. Then members of
the military testified in Congressional hearings that
they were defying a direct order not to testify about
their knowledge of the election scandal. There is the
issuance of Executive Order No. 464 forbidding
government officials under the executive department
from appearing in congressional inquiries without
President Arroyo's prior consent. These measures
were challenged before the Supreme Court, which
apparently declared some sections
as unconstitutional.

12. Human rights
 A May 2006 Amnesty International report expressed concern over the
sharp rise in vigilante killings of militant activists and community
workers in the Philippines. Task Force Usig, a special police unit
tasked to probe reported extra-judicial killings, by state run death
squads counts 115 murders and says most of these are the result of
an internal purge by communist rebels. Human rights groups put the
number as high as 830.
 General Palparan who retired September 11, 2006 has been appointed
by President Arroyo to be part of the Security Council. This has
alarmed left-leaning political parties about the potential for human
rights violations.
 An independent commission was assembled in August 2006 to
investigate the killings. Headed by former Supreme Court Justice Jose
Melo, the group known as the Melo Commission concluded that most
of the killings were instigated by the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, but found no proof linking the murder of activists to a
"national policy" as claimed by the left-wing groups.

13. Amnesty proclamation
 On September 5, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed
Amnesty Proclamation 1377 for members of the Communist Party of
the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army; other
communist rebel groups; and their umbrella
organization, the National Democratic Front. The amnesty will cover
the crime of rebellion and all other crimes "in pursuit of political
beliefs," but not including crimes against
chastity, rape, torture, kidnapping for ransom, use and trafficking of
illegal drugs and other crimes for personal ends and violations of
international law or convention and protocols "even if alleged to have
been committed in pursuit of political beliefs." The National
Committee on Social Integration (NCSI) will issue a Certificate of
Amnesty to qualified applicants. Implementing rules and regulations
are being drafted and the decree will be submitted to the Senate of
the Philippines and the House of Representatives for their
concurrence. The proclamation becomes effective only after
Congress has concurred.

14. Foreign Policies
Proceeding from public
ceremony to private
talks, Philippine President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
and President George W.
Bush meet in the Oval
Office Monday, May
19, 2003.

15.  President Arroyo with Russian president Dmitry
Medvedev during her visit in Moscow, Russia for St.
Petersburg International Economic Forum, June 4–
6, 2009

16. Iraq War
 The Arroyo administration has forged a strong relationship with
the United States. Arroyo was one of the first world leaders
who expressed support for the US-led coalition against global
terrorism in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001
attacks, and remains one of its closest allies in the war on
terror. Following the US-led invasion of Iraq, in July 2003 the
Philippines sent a small humanitarian contingent which
included medics and engineers. These troops were recalled in
July 2004 in response to the kidnapping of Filipino truck driver
Angelo de la Cruz. With the hostage takers demands met, the
hostage was released. The force was previously due to leave
Iraq the following month. The early pullout drew international
condemnation, with the United States protesting against the
action, saying giving in to terrorist demands should not be an
option.

17. ASEAN Summit
Arroyo's foreign policy is anchored on building
strong ties with the United States, East
Asian and Southeast Asian nations, and
countries where overseas Filipino
workers work and live. In 2007, the
Philippines was host to the 12th ASEAN
Summit in Cebu City.

18. Philippines-Japan Trade Deal
 On August 21, 2007, Arroyo's administration asked
the Senate of the Philippines to ratify a $4 billion (£2
billion) trade deal with Japan(signed on 2006 with the
former Japanese prime minister Junichiro
Koizumi), which would create more than 300,000 jobs
(by specifically increasing local exports such
as shrimp to Japan). Japan also promised to hire at
least 1,000 Philippine nurses. The opposition-
dominated senate objected on the ground that toxic
wastes would be sent to the Philippines; the
government denied this due to the diplomatic notes
which stated that it would not be accepting Japanese
waste in exchange for economic concessions.

19. Council of Women World
Leaders
In keeping with this international
mission, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
is a member of the Council of Women World
Leaders, an International network of current
and former women presidents and prime
ministers whose mission is to mobilize the
highest-level women leaders globally for
collective action on issues of critical
importance to women and equitable
development.

20. Fertilizer Fund Scam
The Fertilizer Fund Scam is a political scandal
involving the officials of the Department of
Agriculture (DA) and a number of other local and
national government officials during the Arroyo
administration regarding the misuse of
agricultural funds amounting to P728 million and
P1.1 billion, which were released in February
3, 2004 and February 11, 2004 respectively. Said
funds were allegedly utilized to finance former
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s campaign
before the May 2004 presidential elections.

21. Hello Garci Controversy
 In the middle of 2005, Samuel Ong who is a former deputy
director of the country's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
claimed to have audio tapes of wiretapped conversations
between President Arroyo and an official of the Commission on
Elections. According to Ong, the contents of the tape prove
that the 2004 national election was rigged by Arroyo in order to
win by around one million votes.
 Two witnesses, Antonio Rasalan and Clinton Colcol, stepped
forward in August 2006, claiming involvement in an alleged
plot to alter the results for the May 2004 elections. Rasalan
claimed that he was fully convinced that the election returns
presented at the House of Representatives were manufactured
and had replaced the original documents.

22. National Broadband Network
Scandal
 The Philippine National Broadband Network(NBN) controversy is a political affair
that centers upon allegations of corruption primarily involving Former Commission
on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Benjamin Abalos, First Gentleman Mike
Arroyo and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regarding the proposed
government-managed National Broadband Network (NBN) for the Philippines and
the awarding of its construction to the Chinese firm Zhong Xing
Telecommunication Equipment Company Limited (ZTE), a telecommunications
and networking equipment provider.
 The issue has captivated Filipino politics since it erupted in Philippine media
around August 2007, largely through the articles of newspaper columnist Jarius
Bondoc of the Philippine Star. It has also taken an interesting turn of
events, including the resignation of Abalos as COMELEC chairman, the alleged
bribery of congressmen and provincial governors (dubbed as "Bribery in the
Palace"), the unseating of Jose de Venecia, Jr. as House Speaker, and the alleged
"kidnapping" of designated National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)
consultant-turned-NBN/ZTE witness Rodolfo Noel "Jun" Lozada, Jr.
 De Venecia says that Benjamin Abalos Sr. had wiretapped his phone and
threatened to have him killed after he refused to back off from the project. He adds
that Abalos also threatened Philippine Star columnist Jarius Bondoc for informing
the public of his wrongdoings.

23. Controversial Dinner party and
Ondoy
 Again, a serious blow marked an another controversy in the
Philippines. In July 2009, Arroyo went to New York City to dine with
her friends at a lush Le Cirque restaurant and was highly criticized
for her supposed outlandish dinner at Le Cirque with the Philippine
delegation during her visit to the United States. President Arroyo and
her group reportedly had dinner for the cost of $20,000 or
P1,000,000 as reported in the New York Post. This has been linked
to corruption and anti-Gloria protests to sprawl anger among the
poor, and more people went hungry as a result of rising hunger, and
also, anti-Gloria coup attempts. In September 2009, Typhoon Ondoy
became devastative throughout Metro Manila and Luzon leaving 464
people dead and resulted to massive flooding and landslides. After
Benigno Aquino III took office on June 30, 2010, he criticized Arroyo
and PAGASA for lack of disaster preparedness and new equipment
in the aftermath of Ondoy, Chief Administrator Prisco Nilo was fired
and resigned for having a fool-proof forecast as the typhoon struck
the metropolis.

24. Northrail Controversy
The Northrail project is being surrounded by a
controversy since 1997, Arroyo signed a
Memorandum of agreement with Sinomach and other
contractors in 2004, to construct a rail line from
Caloocan to Clark Special Economic Zone once to be
completed in 2010. Many opposition senators and
congressmen opposed that the project could cost
US$500 million and this has been led to corruption in
the Arroyo cabinet and even her, and also a series of
cancellations. After it was constructed from 2009-
2010, again, it eventually cancelled in March 2011, no
plans and substitute foreign support (Japan for
example) to continue the project.

25. End of Presidency
In November 2009, Arroyo formally
declared her intention to run for a seat in
the House of Representatives representing
the 2nd District of Pampanga, making her
the second Philippine President - after
Jose P. Laurel - to pursue a lower office
after the expiration of their presidency.

26. Arrest
Arroyo was arrested on 18
November 2011 after a Pasay
court issued a warrant of arrest
against her.

27.  Protesters clash with policemen as they barricade the vehicle
transporting ex-Philippine President Gloria Arroyo after she
was released from hospital arrest at a government hospital in
Manila on July 25, 2012. Arroyo walked free from eight months
in detention on July 25 after a court issued a surprise ruling
granting her bail, saying a vote rigging case against her was
weak.

28.  Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo looks at her
supporters as she arrives at her village in suburban Quezon City, north of
Manila, Philippines on Wednesday July 25, 2012. Arroyo on Wednesday
walked out of a government hospital where she has been detained for
nearly eight months on charges of election sabotage after a court found
that evidence against her was weak and granted bail.