Breakthrough?

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
2/6/2006



Last Friday we defined two last options for the much needed change in our country, the restoration of the Rule of Law and the Constitutional order by restituting the nation injured and aggrieved by the 2001 Edsa Dos hi-jack of democracy and the outright rule of a “vanguard” to seize power by forces of the reformist military with or without civilian participation. Of the two options, it is still the restitution of the elected leadership prior to the 2001 stoppage of the Constitutional Clock that is ideal and most viable, reopening dialogue in society and peaceful negotiation of sectoral grievances.

The restoration of the “mandate” is the most rationale, restoring offering an opportunity for peaceful cleansing with the backing of the reformist military, an evolutionary approach as Senator Biazon insisted is more desirable when we discussed the issue of the change process at last Wednesday’s Ciudad Fernandina Forum. It is really ideal, a methods that can resolve socio-political-economic issues even in the most vicious of internecine ala South Africa made possible by the compromise with Mandela, or more appropriately like Venezuela when Hugo Chavez was restored after a coup deposed him.

That “restoration” option seems to be closer to reality than ever before, the good news brought about by the reported visit of Cory Aquino to Erap Estrada last Sunday afternoon for mass in the tiny San Juan Medical Center hospital room of the incarcerated President. Cory Aquino was reportedly to be accompanied by Susan Roces, the quiescent political Joan de Arc of Philippine politics. This event, if it is actually pushed through (its supposed to be a four in the afternoon, not yet happening at the time of this writing) will represent a breakthrough in negotiations and political consciousness of the power blocks.

Corazon C. Aquino has been in the process of making amends for her admitted “mistake” in 2001 in supporting the events that led to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s power grab. Although she has been short in making total amends, we can understand that she may have calibrated her political shift to ensure that not too many of her loyalists that joined the Arroyo regime will be unable to join her migration to the anti-government camp. Aquino has not apologized to the victims of the 2001 coup, Erap and his eleven millions voters but if she does visit Erap now that would complete the “mea culpa”.

Aquino represents the breakaway group of the political-economic establishment upon which Gloria Arroyo depends for her power base, while President Joseph E. Estrada represents the broad masses and a portion of the “silent majority” not to be scoffed about. What allows Aquino now to make this dramatic visit to Erap still perplexes me a bit, for it is obviously not an easy move; but if it does transpire it will prove that Cory Aquino is considerably made of sterner stuff than I have granted. Is it her concern for her legacy of the 1987 Constitution and Gloria’s Cha-cha challenge to it?

Is it a genuine compunction over the errors of Edsa Dos, for even Erap has said in many occasions: Cory Aquino never really had enthusiasm for the anti-Estrada campaign prior to January 2001. Erap has said that Noynoy publicly said prior to 2001 that he had no desire to see Estrada deposed. Erap believes she was pushed to the extreme only in the last weeks before Edsa Dos. But there could be another reason for Cory’s full opening of dialogue with Estrada – the growing fear that the military reformists are ready for the final putsch and primed to run the reforms without civilian participation.

Whatever the unspoken motives for the visit of Cory Aquino to Estrada I welcome it as the first key to unlock the restoration of national dialogue on the issues that have broken this nation and its national institutions apart. It would also begin the restitution for the great injustices the Edsa Dos events have led to, like the suspension of the superb citizen, constitutionalist and moral leader Atty. Alan Paguia. It will begin to free the institutions such as the Sandiganbayan from the fears of Arroyo’s dictates in exonerating and exculpating President Estrada from the framed up charges against him.

Most highest hopes raised by this latest turn of events that might restore national dialogue is that all the ruling factions of our society, whether in power or out, realize that we are all really victims of the foreign and local corporatocratic powers who manipulated the power and greed of some politicians and military-police bureaucrats to trample upon the Constitutions and march to seize power for themselves. If dialogue and principled unity can be achieved, we may even realize the debt-moratorium that President Estrada desires to kick off the revival of our national economy, and we may finally be able to clean up the Comelec and the judicial system.

These are only prospects that I see, it’ll be several more days or weeks before the final configuration of the political landscape will be defined by this possible breakthrough. In the meantime, we must keep supporting the young reformist officers in their struggle against the corruption regime and for reforms in our society. Without them there would be no fear of hellfire to push the ruling factions to act on the crying need for change and reforms.

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