Reflection on Glo's last throes

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
6/27/2005



Plato had this to say about no being involved in politics, which many people deem as dirty and distasteful: "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." Plato doesn’t know Philippine politics, for even if good men wanted to be engaged to improve the politicians breed the system defeats him and invariably eats him up. Yet even the wisest urge, as Einstein does “It is the duty of every citizen according to his best capacities to give validity to his convictions in political affairs.”

Philippine politics is dominated by the sordid characters of the likes of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who has made lying and cheating the stock in trade of her politics. The Knight-in-Shining Armor, FPJ, to slay the medusa-like President Evil Gloria (have you seen the poster? I hope to put it up on the Sulo website if FDC gives permission) but was instead slain in the dark forest of Comelec deceit and perfidy. Philippine elections and parliamentary conduct is dominated by money-power, as Lincoln called it, and principles even become a weakness.

There was no shortage of treachery too, as Trojan Horses brought to the genuine opposition’s fold wrought confusion and damage. There was Angara, then there was that man who said at the end of the election campaign and the cheating made apparent in Mindanao and Cebu. “A candidate who cannot prevent cheating does not deserve to win…” Yet, now this Trojan Horse is preaching high and mightily against Gloria’s cheating that the Gloria-Garci tapes clearly evidence, calls for Filipino to “Be Not Afraid” when he was the among the first to concede to the cheater in 2004.

You know whom I am speaking of here? He was the centurion of Erap who quickly signed away his pledge to the commander-in-chief right after Edsa Dos. I promised not to mention his name to some opposition stalwarts who do not want to give the Gloria’s propagandists ammunition to say the opposition is divided again. But that was the ploy too in the 2004 elections, the Trojan Horse played coy with the real principled candidate FPJ, gave enough indications that a last minute unity was indeed possible, and then finally stabbed FPJ and the opposition in the back.

For a few pieces of silver and a deal on a criminal case this not-so-brave centurion turned his back on a chance to liberate his political benefactor who needed only an opposition win in order to get justice. Now this coward’s PR strategists dare portray him as the “unifier” of the opposition, as his handlers got some newspapers like the Philippine Star and Bulgar to proclaim. Yet some erstwhile FPJ supporters and UNO politicians went to his shindig, maybe they believe as one saying goes: "To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles."

Plato and Einstein saw the imperative of all citizens to be engaged in politics or else the greater ordinary Filipino citizen would be governed by inferiors like Gloria, the Trojan Horses, and worse (as it is getting worse) by the likes of porno-tabloid publisher Pichay, demonstrably-corrupt Chavit Singson, salvager-mayor Duterte ad nausea. Happily, the Filipino citizen is indeed getting involved wittingly or unwittingly by way of the popular demand to hold and own “Hello Garci” tapes and CDs, ring tones, car horn tunes, transcripts downloaded from the Internet, etc.

Former Senator Rene Saguisag proposed to elevate the public’s involvement in the politics against Glo’s cheating and lying by calling for a “tax boycott” in response to Gloria’s verbal boycott of the “Hello Garci” imbroglio. The mother of all Gloria taxes is coming, the 10% VAT on power and fuel products will be on us this July. Can we pay our electricity bills less the 10% tax and deposit it instead in escrow until Gloria speaks on the tape? I hear that the oil companies themselves, out of pure concern for expected falling sales, will also hold a protest over the 10% VAT on fuel.

It’s all over for Gloria but the vote-buying in Congress for support to end the jueteng hearings there (Pichay is supposedly distributing the mullah Pagcor is providing), a desperate attempt to stop the inevitable. The anti-Gloria marches are growing in strength as the June 24 Sto. Domingo rally showed, dispelling the theory of Gloria-apologists about “protest fatigue” or “people power fatigue”. The forces for change are consolidating for even larger actions. The regime sent in Eli Pamatong to join and obfuscate after Abat’s abortive rally failed to confuse, maybe Eddie Gil will emerge again.

The overwhelming bulk and main leaders at June 24 march were not politicians, just like the Citoyens of the French Revolution that brought down the Bastille. In all of this ferment I just wonder where our nationalist officer corps’ heart lies, they are also citizens after all. Will they stand by the AFP code of ethics: “…We shall have the moral courage to stand for what is right and persevere to make it difficult for friends, superiors, peers and comrades to do the wrong thing.” So much wrong is being inflicted on the people, and getting worse by the day. Are you just going to stand by and watch the suffering?

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