The official vote tally for the presidency and vice-presidency was announced on June 20th. It brought to an end the prolonged and acrimonious deliberations of a 22-member joint congressional panel tasked with examining the certificates of canvass (CoCs) received from electoral districts around the country. Confirmation of the results was delayed by opposition-led disputes over procedure, and amid (unproven) accusations of vote-rigging.

Charlie*

Arroyo's vice presidential running mate, Noli de Castro, also won according to the House-Senate Committee tasked with counting the votes. Supporters of Poe, a popular former action-movie star, are claiming that vote certificates were modified to rob Poe of about 2 million votes. Poe's party said pro-Arroyo lawmakers used their large numbers in Congress to prevent the opposition from presenting evidence of the electoral fraud.

Hotchook

The Arroyo administration is smug about its claims that the elections were "generally peaceful and orderly," yet the last elections illustrated the worst of Philippine politics including - the massive use of government resources for GMA's campaign, rampant cheating and manipulation to secure GMA's victory, and the use of terror tactics against GMA's political rivals and progressive party-lists. The government practically tells us to accept massive corruption, fraud and state terrorism as part of our electoral culture. Whether GMA admits it or not, her railroaded proclamation by the administration-controlled Congress further exposed the rottenness of Philippine politics under the current political and economic system.

Jmekosh*

Even though the public wasn't leaping ahead in the polls, she later climbed to and stayed at the number one spot until the elections. She was campaigning against a film actor by the name of Fernando Poe, Jr. who just happened to be good friends with Estrada, not to mention the senator who had accused her husband of corruption. Despite these obsticals, she was able to win the elections this year and assume the Presidency last month, June 2004.

SpeedRacr

Arroyo isn't without her own set of problems. Not everyone within the Phillipines supports the new leader. On the eve of her inauguration, police dealt with about a thousand supporters of Fernando Poe, one of the presidential candidates Arroyo defeated in the recent election. Many of these supporters feel that Arroyo rigged the election, a charge that Arroyo strongly denies.

Kyrahjade

Currently, the President of the Philippines is Gloria Arroyo. She was freely elected and rather a ray of sunshine after other recent US embraced rulers of the country. But, she's still pro-US and has been a supporter of the war in Iraq. It doesn't hurt that the Filipino economy relies on the US Military employing a large portion of its employed workforce.

J Leroy

Fernando Poe Jr. (An actor friend of Estrada’s) decided to run against Arroyo and after the election the government was unable to come up with a clear-cut winner, as accusations of election fraud and voting irregularities surfaced. Depending on whose side tells the tale, Poe won or Arroyo won. They decided to have the election solved by recounting the votes under supervision of representatives from both camps, however with the ballot box stuffing, disappearance of poll workers, and a few other problems this was probably not the best way to do things. Finally on June 23 they proclaimed Arroyo the winner amid protests from a good portion of the Filipinos. Talking to different Filipino’s you get pretty much a split of opinions. Basically Arroyo supporters say it’s great she was elected and non-supporters feel robbed of their vote through a bogus recount process that was unconstitutional.

RWO

President Gloria Arroyo of the Phillippines has been blasted by the United States for caving to terrorism. But she wasn't elected to support Bush's crumbling coalition. In fact, she barely beat Fernando Poe Junior and faces more pressing problems from her constituents. Many of Arroyo's rivals believe the election was a fraud and stand ready to pounce on Arroyo for any perceived mistakes. The economy in the Phillippines and government spending are also taking their toll on the recently re-elected President.

Robert Brigham

I'm not afraid. Not afraid whatsoever. I'm very sorry it had to come to this.

by Domestic Diva Martha Stewart*

America's heart and soul is freedom of expression without fear of reprisal.

I find all this feigned indignation about 'Bush bashing' quite disingenuous.

For the Republican Party to pretend this is new to them seems a little fake.

The fact that I am no longer the spokesman for SlimFast makes me sad, but not as sad as someone trying to punish me for exercising my right as an American to speak my mind.

Whoopi Goldberg*
Comedian and former spokesperson for Slim Fast

They weren't speaking for me, and they weren't speaking for John Kerry.

John Edwards
Senator and Democratic Candidate for Vice President of the United States.

I smell racism from beginning to end.

SlimFast must realize that black women have every right to voice their views.

Asa Khalif
Head of Racial Unity USA

Neither the deployment of carrier strike groups worldwide nor this NDU (National Defense University) tabletop exercise should be seen as sending a signal to any specific country.

Participants examined the gravity, complexity and difficulty inherent in responding to a sequence of escalating tensions between China and Taiwan.

The exercise sought to understand the full range of policy options and associated consequences available to the U.S. to restore stability to the Taiwan Straits and surrounding region, while avoiding nuclear confrontation with China.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Lt. Cmdr. Flex Plexico*

It's disappointing to see a decision that sends the wrong signal to terrorists... You cannot negotiate with terrorists or make a separate peace with terrorists. And we understand that they have made the decision to withdraw their 51 troops ahead of schedule.

by White House spokesman Scott McClellan*

This kind of action cannot be allowed to succeed anywhere in the 21st century, above all not Iraq... In these difficult times we have to remain steadfast.

Secretary of State Colin Powell*
said in a speech at the US Institute of Peace

The President [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] is trying to respond because there is instability... if she had a clear mandate, she would say, 'The people elected me because they believed in my [anti terror] agenda and, therefore, I should not face the terrorists anymore.' And she would not have made [the decision to pull out the troops].

If Angelo de la Cruz is beheaded despite the pullout of the Filipino troops, it would be a case of the President doing too little, too late...

You have a case that really galvanized the nation. She has a weak mandate. If she wanted to transform this issue into a confidence-building measure and strengthen her mandate, she should have done the popular thing even if she didn't believe in it.

said by Ibon research director Antonio Tujan Jr.*
in a news conference

This is the time of a severe test to your country... we are allies... we are here for you. In a time of crisis, it’s up to us as your allies to help you to be strong, to encourage you.

In a time where enemies demand that you kneel, and (I) just ask you, please don’t confuse your enemies with your friends.

US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone*

It is always counterproductive to give in to terrorist threats because even though in the short term the result may be the release of a particular hostage, the terrorists can always take more hostages.

by Rand Corp. senior policy analyst Angel Rabasa*

The [news blackout] situation stays the same. We would like to ask for your understanding in this regard. We know the life of our countryman Angelo is at stake and we do not wish to make any wrong signals that could jeopardize his safety.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye*
at a media briefing in Malacañang

You do not own, and you are not the arbiters of, African-American authenticity.

by U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige
NAACP fight with GOP boils hotter."

Thank you for that wonderful introduction. I understand that you've been having trouble getting some speakers.

Seriously, thank you for the invitation. Some people may have better things to do, but there's no place I'd rather be right now than right here in Philadelphia with the NAACP.

As a campaigner, I know a little something about scheduling conflicts and hostile environments. But when you're president of the United States, you can pretty much say where you want to be. And when you're president, you need to talk to all the people -- and that's exactly what I intend to do. I will be a president who truly is a uniter, not one who seeks to divide our nation by race, riches or any other label. You know, the president may be too busy to speak to you now, but I assure you, he'll have plenty of free time after November 2nd.

by Senator John F. Kerry
Text of Remarks by John Kerry to NAACP Convention

We'll conduct a search to see if we can find some Commonwealth (Federal Australian) land either onshore or offshore and we'll put the Commonwealth low-level waste there.

If they want to play sovereign state politics, not-in-my-state politics, okay, they can do that, but they will have to look after their own waste.

Prime Minister John Howard*
on sending Australia's low-level nuclear waste to an offshore island

The very idea of storing nuclear waste on a Pacific atoll or in a country like Nauru is dangerously ridiculous and ought be condemned.

by shadow industry minister Senator Kim Carr*