Prevailing trends during Arroyo's 9 years in office (Prof. Simbulan)

1. The military has become an institution for the preservation of personal power by the president.
2. Corruption at the highest levels of power has even become more entrenched, with the head of state and political allies governing by negative example.
3. Manipulation and undermining of Philippine political and economic institutions in the quest for maintaining power.
   
4. Extrajudicial killings, disappearances, abductions and other crimes against the people have been perpetrated by minions of the state against critics and the democratic opposition, and sadly, it continues with impunity.
5. Foreign policy has been plunged into the abyss for getting international support to an unpopular regime.
   
   (Lifted from Prof. Roland G. Simbulan's presentation entitled GOLLUM IS HERE! Keeping Power at the Expense of the People and our Institutions)