The President had survived the most bruising political battle of her life, and even emerged stronger, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye declared.

So why are some politicians issuing baleful warnings of dire consequences to the country?

***

It sounds loathsome but clearly they want to exhaust all means to put hindrance to render the President vulnerable and incapacitated.

And they are using the same moralistic "search for the truth" formula to weaken her credibility and put permanently in question the legitimacy of her presidency.

It has been like that from the start and her enemies are repeating it without let-up.

Invariably, it goes back to the Garci case – the wiretapped telephone conversation supposedly between the President and former Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.

Garcillano’s testimony, according to Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., has become worthless as far as the truth is concerned; he said Garcillano only added to President Arroyo’s problem.

The former Comelec commissioner who appeared before the House committees after a long questionable absence had been warned by Congress leaders for confusing the issues with his contradictory statements but he was visibly unperturbed.

***

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon in a recent interview said he was not sure whether the political and economic situation would make headway next year but emphasized the greatest question remains whether she would be able to establish her credibility and the legitimacy of her administration.

"The political stability and economic recovery will depend on that," he said.

The same view is reflected in the Senate report that says the prolonged political instability and uncertainty in the country could undermine the gains of the national economy.

Senate President Franklin Drilon warned of uncertain economic prospects in 2006 unless the current political stalemate was addressed; what is needed is a strong and wise political leadership, he said.

***

But that may not be possible as Drilon himself pointed out our political crisis persists while the administration continues to lose widespread public support.

He blames the legitimacy issue on the Arroyo administration, the absence of commitment to good government, and the distraction from the implementation of fundamental reforms for all that ail the country.

As everybody knows, both Drilon and Biazon were former allies of President Arroyo but broke away from the administration and joined former President Corazon Aquino in calling for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation.

They, too, are searching for the truth.

***

As far as President Arroyo’s supporters are concerned, the truth is that she will finish her term under the Constitution in 2010 and all attempts by the opposition to unseat her will fail.

"The opposition miscalculated the President’s ability and capability to lead the nation and weather the political storm," veteran Congress leader Rep. Antonio Cuenco of Cebu said, adding that "They never thought they could be facing their toughest political opponent in her."

Rep. Cuenco is right as demonstrated by the President herself when she met the challenges head on, even leaving the country to attend United Nations conferences while her opponents were at the height of their scheming effort to ease her out of office.

Indeed, the challenges made her stronger.

***

The fact is that President Arroyo has been trying hard to govern unhampered by the distractions of the political noise created by the incessant drum beating of her foes.

But she will not know how far she has achieved or failed in her governance until she gets the performance reports of her Cabinet, assuming that they are truthful in accounting for the implementation of their respective government programs.

As far as the public is concerned, nothing spectacular has happened in any particular department of the Executive Office since she assumed office.

And she knows it; and that is her weakness.