President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared her intention to run for Congress after her presidency. As it is, she is the second longest running president of the Philippines and now will be the first to run for Congress right after a presidency.

Critics all have their opinion regarding the reason behind the move – she wants immunity from lawsuits, she wants to become prime minister, she wants to nullify the power of the incoming president by becoming Speaker of the House, or if Teodoro, the administration candidate wins, then she will control Malacañang from Congress making Teodoro nothing more than a transition president.

All these are reasons to fear PGMA running for Congress. She, however, fearlessly says that she’s not ready to retire and after much soul searching had heeded the call to run for Congress by the people in her district Pampanga.

This wasn’t the case when she first started.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal seemed to have been the hope of the nation.

A mother of 3. Most of us felt that as a mother, she could extend her love and compassion for her children towards the sons and daughters of the country.

An educator in the most prestigious schools. Most of us thought she could change the system and teach by example what was right and wrong putting an end to a century old system of governance filled with corruption.

An economist. Finally someone well versed in the dynamics of economics, we had hoped that she could get us out of the economic hole that we had dug ourselves in.

A promising senator. Following the footsteps of a most beloved father, she stamped down on corruption and fought for human rights, filing 400 bills and sponsoring 55 laws which included the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, the Indigenous People's Rights Law, and the Export Development Act.

Now, after 9 years of being President, everybody wants her out. The mother is power hungry. The educator is accused of being one of the most corrupt. The economist is inept in solving the countries financial and economic problems. And the promising senator is deemed a failure, as an example, as a politician and as a leader.

Nine years in power is what it took to change her. Nine years in power is what it took for the people to be disillusioned, disgruntled and far more desperate.

Now she runs for Congress for her native province of Pampanga. She claims that she had soul searched before heeding the call of the Pampangeños. Maybe she has not soul searched hard enough because if she had she would have realized that she no longer is the same person as when she started. The people who had trusted her no longer see any hope in her.

She has had a chance in serving her country and she flubbed it. She has a chance of serving her country best by being nothing more than a humble civilian. Maybe as a civilian she can find herself once again and contribute to the betterment of society out of office.

As they used to say during the Marcos era, "Sobra na, tama na, palitan na!" (Enough is enough, change her!)