Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is a lame duck struggling to stay afloat. With less than a year left in her constitutionally mandated last term, national politics is dominated by next May's election and the president's efforts to cling to power. In the meantime, policy efforts to address the country's myriad problems are at a standstill.
Ms. Arroyo's latest gambit is to run for her son's congressional seat when her presidential term expires next year. Members of her cabinet have openly advocated this plan, and her son Mikey has said he would consider running for governor of their home province of Pampanga if Ms. Arroyo chooses this path. Last Monday, the Commission on Elections declared that there is no legal barrier preventing a former president from running for Congress.
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