The 1986û1992 Aquino administration neglected investment in power stations. As a result, the Philippines suffers from widespread power cuts; in 1992 these occurred on 258 of the 297 working days. The cuts are disrupting business and deterring foreign investment in the Philippines. Under the Electric Power Crisis Law of 1993, President Ramos was given extra powers to deal with the problem. New power station projects will no longer be subject to planning controls and the president is free to raise electricity prices by dictat.
Communist and Muslim separatists
Communist and Muslim separatists have been fighting Manila governments for more than 25 years. Ten thousand armed confrontations with rebels have been recorded by the army during this period. Much of the support for secession has been fueled by the failure of successive governments to curb poverty.
Since 1992, the Ramos government has been pursuing a peace process with all armed groups. The most powerful, the communist New People's Army (NPA), is in decline. Once regarded as a heroic army of the oppressed and as an alternative to traditional politics, it has split into factions. Some wish to achieve an accommodation with the government, while other wings still adhere to their Maoist leader, Jose Maria Sison, living in exile in Holland. The Ramos government is exploiting the divisions. Its peacemaking approach was boosted by the decision of Leopoldo Mabilangan, an NPA leader, to leave the organization. He was subsequently murdered by NPA agents.
Profile
Democracy was restored to the Philippines in 1986. Ferdinand Marcos, in power since 1965, was in effect deposed by an army coup headed by Fidel Ramos and Marcos's defense minister, Juan Ponce Enrile. Although Marcos claimed victory, both Ramos and Enrile declared Corazon Aquino the true winner of the 1986 elections and the USA decided to remove its backing for Marcos. Corazon Aquino's government succeeded in handing over power through fair elections in 1992, having survived seven coup attempts. Fidel Ramos, winner of the elections, is concentrating on achieving stability and economic growth. However, Ramos was elected on just 23% of the vote and is dependent on loose coalition arrangements in Congress. In 1994, however, opinion polls suggested 60% of the electorate approved of Ramos's performance.
