439. Editorial Note
In the Philippine election of November 12, Carlos Garcia was elected President and Diosdado Macapagal was elected Vice President. In a report prepared for the Under Secretary, the Deputy Director of INR, R. Gordon Arneson, made the following assessment of the election results:
“Sharp cleavages within the majority Nacionalista Party, the personal weakness of Garcia, and the absence of a popular mandate all indicate that the government-elect will be unable to take the stringent measures required to resolve the current monetary crisis and meet the long-term need for economic development and social [Page 733] reform. As a result, the relative stability achieved by the Magsaysay administration can be expected to deteriorate over the next four years.
“No immediate change in foreign policy appears likely, although Garcia has not in all instances adopted the strong anti-Communist international stand taken by his predecessor. He may, therefore, be more vulnerable than was Magsaysay to the neutralist pressures of nationalist extremists.” (”The Philippine Elections: Results and Prospects,” November 15; Department of State, Central Files, 796.00/11–1557)