The queen self-destructs

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
9/3/2007



Gloria took the elite military forces as far away from Manila and out of Malacañang’s traditional security roles by creating the most heinous excuse possible: “exiling” the Marines and Scout Ranger to Mindanao on the pretext of hunting down the alleged “Abu Sayyaf” who ambushed and mutilated a Marine detachment - elements identified with Gloria’s allies in the Muslim “rebel” and politico groups, A Biazon’s inquiry will show. Gloria believes she has cleansed Metro-Manila and the Palace of the nemesis of debauchery in the military and her government, and ready for the final move she thinks can pre-empt the people’s rage against her cabal’s massive and epidemic corruption.

The book “Dark Conspiracy” demolishes whatever remaining hopes Gloria has that her charges against President Joseph E. Estrada can stick and prevent an immense outrage and backlash at the injustice. The vast majority of the country believes President Estrada is innocent of those Sandiganbayan charges, and even for doubters it is clear too that President Estrada could not have done worse than what they see Gloria and her cabal doing against the welfare, survival and peace of the country. Coupled with the increasing number of cases of patently clear corruption deals Gloria’s top honchos are involved with, injustice upon injustice creates the volatile situation.

The adverse impact Abalos’ finger-in-the-ZTE multi-billion pie on the public is tremendous. It ties in everything: the corruption of the elections with Abalos’ role in the Comelec as the essential element and Abalos’ payoff from Gloria with the ZTE 30% share of P 1-B (bumping off Joe de Venecia’s son, the grapevine informs us), among other deals Abalos is into. Of course, the ever incognito DOTC secretary, one of the top five generals in Gloria’s Edsa Dos coup conspiracy, is now also named in the scandal – retired general Larry Mendoza. Even the country’s elite who backed Gloria’s Estrada ouster knows a conviction or Erap amidst these corruption scandals would be a colossal mistiming and mistake.

Gloria’s expected conviction of Estrada also comes after the SWS survey showing Estrada’s trust rating at 64% and Gloria way below at 18%, meaning that two out of about three citizens believe Estrada’s words and less that one in five Gloria’s statements - growing in hyperbole as her term extends, like Pinocchio’s nose: like the 7.2% growth in the past quarter which a quick review of stats shows came from election-spending infrastructure spree increase of almost 50% compared to last year, plus the reckless Team Unity multi-billions campaign spending. The glaring economic fact is the industrial nose-dive going on its nineteenth month now.

The thinking of the country’s true power-wielding ruling class, the financial elite, is often reflected by the Inquirer’s headlines the way the critical, non-establishment views are reflected by the Tribune exposing Gloria. The Inquirer alternately polish or put down Gloria depending on the interest of the power elite to tighten or loosen the noose around Gloria in exchange for the financial payoffs to them. Last Sunday’s Inquirer headline reflects the state-of-mind of the power elite to the impending conviction of President Estrada: SWS survey – Pardon Erap. A conviction will severely rock and emaciate the country, the elite’s milking cow.

Gloria plotted her September “surprise” carefully, starting with the Bert Gonzales at Defense to setting up the Basilan provocation and the chain of events for the conviction of President Estrada and creation of a “coup me” situation. Gloria has started creating the “violent Estrada supporters” scenario with Gen. Dolorfino of the NCR command’s alarmist announcements and buttressing of fortress NCR with six thousand additional troops. Six hundred “civil-military operations” men have been spread around traditional pro-Erap urban poor bases in NCR to sow intrigue under the guise of civic missions, but intent to manipulate angry reactions into riotous events.

Gloria’s “coup me” will be triggered and coupled with the postponement of baranggay elections (there’s still no poll funds request), then Cha-cha and Gloria’s term and “immunity from suit” extension is perpetuated – along with the culture of impunity prevalent among Gloria’s people; Hence, Abalos’ statement: “I’m not afraid of impeachment.” It looks more like a culture of “kapal muks” than anything else because honorable public servants and men would fear shame more than impeachment. I suppose Abalos’ transfers his values to his children and grandchildren too – perpetuating the “kapal muks” alta sociedad. They all do.

The elite fears Gloria will destabilize their happy set up for the country - under nominal democracy while they control the flow of money and increasing taxes (new taxes on cigarette, even taxi fares, loom) to their banks; Gloria is oblivious form arrogance. Gloria and Bert Gonzales think they have cleared NCR and Malacañang of the recalcitrant, but if surveys reflect the sentiment of people in general and show four fifths of the people hold varying levels of antipathy towards Gloria then even the troops remaining in NCR would reflect such views, albeit it kept in the closet (or aparador). Slowly but sure, with people power building up inexorably.

The new “God Save The Queen” is Gloria’s race to her own destruction (and take the country down with her); but she prefers that to replacing President Estrada in prison for the rest of her life.

(Tune in to 1098AM, M-W-F, 6-7pm; “The Dark conspiracy” will be made available on the Internet soon.)