It's a particularly sad setback for President Fidel Ramos. Political stability and a vibrant economy were supposed to be his main legacies when he made way for his successor after the elections next May—under the 1987 constitution the president may serve only one six-year term, a provision intended to prevent another Marcos-type dictatorship from brewing. You can add the following to the woes of Ramos: the El Nino phenomenon which has triggered a devastating drought, daily kidnappings of the rich Chinese for ransom, rising unemployment, power cuts and opposition charges that the coming elections will be rigged. It's a pretty explosive mixture for a fragile democracy.
I have a sinking feeling that the next president of the Philippines will be a semi-literate buffoon. More than 10 aspirants have bared their platforms, law and order topping all of them. Leading the pack is vice-president Joseph Estrada, a former B-movie actor, more Shatrughan Sinha than Rajesh Khanna. He is immensely popular with the masses. But in a deeply Catholic country, Estrada may find the going tough with the bishops slamming him for his philandering and heavy drinking. Incidentally, Ramos' father was the Philippines' first ambassador to India, his sister was married to an Indian and he has a nephew named Ranjit.
