MANILA – Today marks 22 years since the fall of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos and although the economy has improved the lives of many, politics remains dominated by money, patronage and corruption, analysts say.

With the media often drawing comparisons between Marcos and the current President Gloria Arroyo, analysts believe people have become disillusioned with a political system that is fundamentally flawed and only benefits the few.

"People today don't have the same fire in their eyes as they did 22 years ago," said Enrique Esteban, a political analyst with the University of Asia and the Pacific, in Pasig City, in the Philippines.

"Twice now they have been called out onto the streets, first to throw out Marcos and later Joseph Estrada. They were promised change and an end to corruption, but nothing changed."

This absence of "fire" was notable after Estrada was last year sentenced to life in jail for massive corruption. There were fears his supporters would take to the streets in protest -- but in the event the reaction was largely muted.

He was pardoned shortly after -- again to little in the way of public reaction.

Mired in yet another corruption scandal, Arroyo is facing renewed calls for her resignation from a fragmented political opposition and a divided Roman Catholic Church and business community.

Arroyo may not be the most loved leader the country has ever had but without any credible alternative, she is expected to see her term through to its end in 2010.

Today marks the 22nd anniversary of the fall of Marcos by the so-called People Power Revolution and rallies are expected to be held throughout Manila demanding Arroyo's resignation.

When Marcos was overthrown on February 25, 1986, he left a country on the brink of bankruptcy.

In comparison the Philippine economy grew 7.3 percent last year, the best performance in 31 years, while inflation stands at a 20-year low and the budget deficit is the lowest in 10 years, due largely to Arroyo policies.

Yet while Arroyo can point to the economy as one of her major achievements, she is perceived by many as overseeing widespread electoral fraud during the 2004 presidential election, of being corrupt and turning a blind eye to human rights abuses.

"Since Marcos, little has changed in terms of the way the country is run," said Edmund Tanya, a political scientist with the University of Santo Tomas, in Manila.

"Family dynasties are still the major force in Philippine politics.

"Many Filipinos have become tired of street politics as nothing fundamentally changes.

"The church is desperately looking for another Cardinal Jaime Sin, who was one of the key figures in the People Power Revolution, and the middle class, who were so vocal 22 years ago, are simply packing their bags and leaving.

"As for the opposition, there will be presidential elections in two years' time, so no one is prepared to stick his or her neck out now."

Antonio Abaya, a political analyst and newspaper columnist, agreed saying "the families still rule while money, corruption and greed has become an entrenched part of the political system."

After 20 years in power, many of them under martial law, Marcos was finally ousted after the military split and joined more than one million people in angry protests on the streets of Manila.

For her part, Arroyo has survived three impeachment attempts, a military revolt and an attempted coup.

According to Abaya, people have grown "tired of the political noise."

"Unlike 1986, the middle class are now leaving in droves as they see no future in the country, at least while the political system remains in the hands of the elite families.

"The church too is having a problem as it no longer has the likes of Cardinal Sin, who could bring the church together and speak with one voice.

"And without a recognizable opposition figure to rally around, the movement against Arroyo is confined to some church leaders, civil society and leftist groups."

The latest corruption allegation again Arroyo involves a now-defunct 329-million-dollar national broadband network deal with China's state-run ZTE Corp.

Arroyo cancelled the deal amid claims her husband and a close political ally put pressure on the government to approve the overpriced contract in order to collect 130 million dollars in kickbacks.

They deny the claims, but the Philippines Senate has launched an inquiry.

UA&P's Esteban said: "Marcos had 20 years in power. In that time he managed to corrupt the military, the courts and eventually the entire system.

"He didn't have Senate investigations going on into corruption and a free press to contend with as Arroyo has.*AFP

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