Arroyo's rank falls further in Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has remained in Forbes Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women in 2009. But her rank fell three places to 44th from last year’s 41st, and never regained her record-high stature in 2005, when the publication included her among the top 10 influential female personalities in the world. In the August 19 issue of Forbes, senior reporter Tatiana Serafin said Mrs. Arroyo’s meeting with US President Barack Obama became a “boon" to her “otherwise lame-duck presidency." The writer also described the President’s six-year term as “tumultuous," which will end in May 2010. However, Forbes says “potential power grab" is “in the works." “Congressional allies are pushing through changes to the Constitution that would see the Philippines adopt a parliamentary system; then Arroyo could get around the presidential term limit by becoming prime minister," said Serafin. "Critics contend this may further sink the stalling economy that earlier in the year hit a 10-year-low GDP growth of 0.4%. Arroyo also has her hands full dealing with rise in domestic terrorism," she added.

Mrs. Arroyo was placed at number 4 in 2005, an all-time high for the President, citing her efforts for the Philippine’s "growing economy" as a reason for the lofty ranking. Her high position on the list was short-lived as she plummeted to number 45 in 2006, on the heels of the “Hello, Garci" controversy, wherein Arroyo was accused of cheating in the 2004 presidential elections. The President plunged further in 2007, dropping six places to number 51. Her declaration of Proclamation No. 1017 placed the Philippines in a state of national emergency on February 24, 2006, blaming the opposition’s destabilization efforts for the decree. Her proclamation echoed Martial Law for most, referring to former President Ferdinand Marcos’ actions in 1972. Proclamation No. 1081, as the decree is otherwise known, turned Marcos into a dictator. Mrs. Arroyo’s continuous decline on the international list is unsurprising for Filipinos who have been regarding her as the least popular president since the term of President Corazon Aquino – GMANews.TV