To prosecute, or not to prosecute?

Followers of Rule by Hukum may remember that Philippine president-elect Aquino promised to prosecute Arroyo for her misdeeds. According to a recent consultant report (unfortunately, not available for free but cited in an Asia Times article), Aquino's promise might drain political capital that might otherwise have gone towards economic reform. It is particularly noteworthy that his party won just 45 seats in the House of Representatives, much less than the 107 controlled by Arroyo's Lakas-KAMPI-CMD coalition. We'll stay tuned on how aggressively Aquino's administration actually pursues corruption charges. There is precedent for such an action - Arroyo's prosecution of (and eventual amnesty for) former president Estrada.