MANILA - In the maritime world, a listing ship will list to one side until the point of 26 degrees. At this exact point, the boat can no longer be saved, it tips over and sinks. In the world of Philippine politics, people often talk about the tipping point to refer to the time, or more exactly a certain event, which serves as the final catalyst that renders a government no longer viable. In 1986 it was the Catholic Church that proved the tipping point of the regime of Ferdinand Marcos. In 2001, it was the military withdrawing its support from Joseph Estrada, which resulted in the ultimate tipping point of his administration.
Without a singular doubt, the administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo resembles a severely listing ship plying stormy seas. Caught on tape planning the rigging of the presidential election in 2004, her family implicated in allegations of involvement in kickbacks and illegal gambling syndicates, scandal after scandal knocking at her doorstep, amassing a debt burden destined to be borne by generations yet to come and her credibility all but completely shot, one could easily liken Arroyo's boat to the Titanic 30 minutes before it sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic.