"My weakness is my strength," de-dares Grace Padaca, the governor of the Philippines' poor northern province of Isabela. She is referring not only to a childhood bout of polio, which left her unable to walk without the help of crutches, but also to her lack of political connections and financial muscle—all of which made her an unlikely challenger to her predecessor, Faustino Dy junior, at last year's election. His complacency, she says, helped her to win, and thus to put an end to the Dy family's 41-year monopoly of the job. But getting elected, it turns out, was the easy part. Since taking office, Miss Padaca has discovered how weak the hand of reformist politicians really is, and how strong the Philippines' political dynasties remain.
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