Indeed, blatant flouting of Marcos's word just accelerated the implosion of his authority. The most obvious power move is to fight back. Not to mention augmenting Tsang's clout and popularity. Earlier this year the Philippine president refused to negotiate with rebels holding military hostages and forced them to give up their captives without getting concessions. The communists will think twice before trying that again.
Tough talk can also boost power.
Saber-rattling is another common way to show clout. The North Korean dictator's launch of a projectile over Japan into the North Pacific helped get his bankrupt, starving nation more attention and aid from Tokyo and Washington. Moreover, the domestic ills both leaders faced were too big to be diminished in the public mind by pyrotechnics. In particular, reluctance to rein in the Hindu right's attacks on Christians and meddling in economic policy hurt Vajpayee. The Asian Economic Crisis offered many opportunities for strong moves, and they weren't wasted on joint Power 50 top placers Kim Dae Jung of South Korea and Zhu Rongji of China.