MANILA, Philippines — In 2011, President Benigno S. Aquino III grumbled about some decisions of the Supreme Court that he felt were unfavorable to his administration, such as the nullification of the creation of the Truth Commission.

By December, Aquino could no longer hide his dismay towards Chief Justice Renato Corona. Questioning the magistrate’s credibility and neutrality, he endorsed his impeachment in Congress.

Corona lashed back at Aquino and accused him of creating a dictatorship by making the judiciary subservient to the executive department.

But the President denied he was out to curb the independence of the judiciary, saying his administration seeks to prevent the Supreme Court from turning into a den of corruption.

After having been impeached at the House, Corona, an appointee of Arroyo, will be tried by the Senate early this year.

Before setting his sights on Corona, the President moved to oust Ombudsman Gutierrez for supposedly sitting on corruption cases involving past administration officials.

Gutierrez, who like Corona was an Arroyo appointee, was impeached by the House early last year. She resigned before the Senate could put her on trial.

Slow economic growth

While President Aquino was making headway in fighting corruption, his administration faltered in boosting the economy this year.

The administration’s economic experts predicted the economy would grow by 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent with an aspirational target of 7 percent to 8 percent in 2011. But the economy grew only 3.6 percent in the first nine months of the year due to the administration’s weak spending and the global economic slowdown.

The government’s much-vaunted public-private partnership program to upgrade roads, railways and ports appeared to have lost steam, with only one completed bid last year. The original plan was to roll out five or six big-ticket infrastructure projects by 2011 to spur economic activity and create more jobs.

Still, President Aquino was able though to narrow down a record budget deficit and was rewarded with higher credit scores by rating agencies. President Aquino also launched a P72-billion fiscal stimulus program to perk up the economy.

Due to judicious spending of public funds, the government has also generated P42 billion in savings as of September.

Around 2.1 million jobs were created last year. Official labor survey results also showed that unemployment rate slipped from 7.1 percent in October 2010 to 6.4 percent in October 2011.

Peace and security issues

2011 was also a busy year for the Aquino government when it came to peace and security issues.

Following a string of incursions reportedly made by China in the West Philippine Sea, the President openly asserted the Philippines’ claim over the potentially gas-rich Spratly islands and declared the country is prepared to protect what belongs to it.

The government also had to deal with China in the case of convicted Filipino drug traffickers.

Four Filipinos were executed in China this year despite last-minute appeals of Aquino to spare them.

Government officials maintained however they respect China’s judicial system and the executions would not strain bilateral relations.

Cementing a peace settlement with rebel groups remained an elusive objective for the Aquino government.

In August, the President flew to Japan for an unannounced meeting with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Al Haj Murad to revive the flagging peace talks.

Aquino and Murad agreed to fast-track negotiations to forge an agreement before the President’s term ends in 2016.

Two months later, 19 soldiers were killed in a battle with MILF fighters in Basilan. More soldiers were killed in separate MILF attacks in nearby provinces.

Despite the massacre, the President refused to declare an all-out war against the MILF and instead ordered an “all-out justice” campaign, a decision which drew criticisms for his supposed weak approach in dealing with the rebels.

Informal talks with the MILF resumed last December but was snagged by the rebel group’s demand for a sub-state.

The government also failed to revive negotiations with the National Democratic Front (NDF), the umbrella organization of the Philippine communist movement. The group cancelled the talks after the government refused to grant its demand to release from jail several of its supposed consultants.