Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, through her own lens

An unexpected power or event saving a seemingly hopeless situation, especially as a contrived plot device in a play or novel” is how “deus ex machina” is defined.

That is also the title of the memoirs of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which were published recently in a limited first edition run that is highly sought after by both her political friends and foes alike.

However, one interesting element about the 216-page book—too short to capture all the colorful events of even just her presidency, let alone everything that happened before and after that—is that, from reading it, one would be tempted to think that she had no foes in politics.

Instead, the reader gets the sense that, despite Arroyo’s infamous temper reserved for people who fail her, whether they be Cabinet members, subordinates or staffers, she interacts with all personalities in her life in a straightforward, almost businesslike, manner.

In these memoirs, Arroyo masks her strong emotions well. That in itself is instructional for business leaders and managers. At the end of the day, while it’s probably not all “trabaho lang” (it’s just a job) for the master politician, it’s definitely “trabaho muna” (job first).

Love her or hate her, the book offers an interesting study about the arguably very effective management style of the former president, which she used over her nine years at the helm of the country to successfully thwart destabilization plots, reverse the country’s economic decline and, in her words, eventually lead to her vindication from charges brought against her by political opponents.

Providential opportunities

HER SIDE OF THE STORY A page out of Arroyo’s book—CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

One of the first things the reader will notice is that she is not shy about highlighting personal achievements or some of the more flattering aspects of her life, although she delivers it in a matter-of-fact way.

For example, she devotes almost five pages in the book to detailing the history of her ties to former US President Bill Clinton, dating back to their days as undergraduate students in Georgetown University in Washington.

She related that during a 1993 visit by President Fidel V. Ramos to the United States, which she joined, “Bill exclaimed, ‘Gloria! I thought that was you out there. You haven’t changed since Georgetown! You look so young!’ Everyone was surprised because I had not told anyone we were classmates.”

Like most other anecdotes in her memoirs, this one was told very matter-of-factly. But each and every one served a purpose to buttress her position in the mind of the reader, in the case of the Clinton story, to establish further (if that’s possible) her political pedigree.

One recurring theme in the book is her repeated reference to the idea of “deus ex machina” when recounting some of the more exceptional events of her life, especially revolving around her nine-year presidency.

It becomes clear as one reads one page after another that she believes that many opportunities that came her way were not of her own doing but instead providential. But it also becomes immediately clear that, like many successful leader, she was always ready to take advantage of them—ready to always squeeze out a positive outcome from any crisis thrown her way.

‘Team’ GMA

Recalling the events surrounding her ascension from Vice President to the presidency in 2001—detailing all the personalities involved and the countless moving parts that all had to come into play—the book reveals that meticulous preparation that goes on in her mind, which results in near-flawless execution of her plans (or “schemes” as her critics would call them).

In other words, though Arroyo does not say so directly, her memoirs reveal that her political successes are not the result of her lone superhuman effort, but the result of many team players around her—many of them rival personalities—doing their part to achieve a common goal.

The size of this team grows or contracts depending on her personal circumstances, sometimes only the barest minimum, like the presence of only trusted and loyal lieutenants like Len Bautista-Horn and Peter Favila during the Naia (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) arrest. But it is the same management template often prescribed to leaders: surround yourself with key lieutenants who can execute your vision and act decisively during crises.

Most interestingly, the entire manuscript is written with only the most basic of adjectives. Clearly missing are flowery words that would have made it a more exciting read, but which could also open it up to criticism if brought under closer scrutiny by her opponents.

In short, her side of the story is delivered in as factual a manner as she could manage. Even her recollection of her experiences during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III was devoid of emotion. She allowed herself only to say that she suffered “persecution” at the hands of her “tormentors.” But no vitriol was leveled against Aquino himself. “Trabaho lang.” Or “trabaho muna.”

Most importantly, however, the reader comes away with the nagging feeling that she is so effective that she still has long marionette strings attached to her fingers: that’s she’s still in charge long after stepping down from the presidency.

She ends by reciting her oath of office when she became House Speaker in 2018. She explained that vengeance, though sweet, is much less desirable than vindication.

And given the references to the personalities toward the last few pages of the book, the reader is left with the sense that the last chapter of Arroyo’s political and personal life has yet to be written. Abangan!