Gloria Arroyo

Underlining the bitter political divisions Arroyo faces in her fresh six-year term, several opposition senators walked out of Congress in disgust before her proclamation as president.

A joint session of Congress, heavily weighted with Arroyo's allies, approved a report by a panel of lawmakers showing the U.S.-trained economist had narrowly beaten action movie star Fernando Poe Jr. His camp alleges there was widespread cheating in her favor.

"To my detractors, I appeal for unity and to my supporters for an open mind," Arroyo said after her proclamation. "This is the time for forgiveness and letting go of the past."

After a marathon tally from the May 10 general election, the panel said June 20 that Arroyo defeated Poe by 1 million votes, or about 3 percent.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 3, 2004
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