"When will he be out?"

"I'm sorry sir, he has left the meeting." And so forth. It is not clear if anyone knows what is going on. Bureaucratic channels have become so confused that the Philippine Embassy in New York has to keep in touch via the Minister of Agrarian Reform.

DECEMBER 30--Corazon Aquino is named Time magazine's "Woman of the Year," one of the planet's highest accolades. She has, Time says, singlehandedly restored the world's faith in the power of democracy to prevail over oppression.

At this time Aquino holds, in theory, complete legislative and executive power over the nation. The majority of mayorships have not been legally elected, but appointed by Aquino herself. Communist rebels hold a significant portion of the countryside, and contingents of the far right have united with members of the left to oppose Aquino's draft constitution. Most of the corruption of the Marcos era remains. The economy is worse than ever.

Aquino remains enormously popular, especially at the international level. She is not so much a politician as a star, a heroine who has won over the public with her honest simplicity. While turmoil swirls around her, Aquino is untouched.

Naivete, however, cannot carry the day forever. In the Philippines, politics are either dirty, improvised or utterly confused. Whether Aquino will succeed even Time cannot tell.