It's a particularly sad setback for President Fidel Ramos. Political stability and a vibrant economy were supposed to be his main legacies when he made way for his successor after the elections next May—under the 1987 constitution the president may serve only one six-year term, a provision intended to prevent another Marcos-type dictatorship from brewing. You can add the following to the woes of Ramos: the El Nino phenomenon which has triggered a devastating drought, daily kidnappings of the rich Chinese for ransom, rising unemployment, power cuts and opposition charges that the coming elections will be rigged. It's a pretty explosive mixture for a fragile democracy.