Rosales' "deux-ex-machination"

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
9/5/2007



Senator Panfilo Lacson is correct to demand that Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales be hauled off to the Senate and face questions concerning his order to Bishop Soc Villegas to physically remove the whistleblower T/Sgt Vidal Doble from San Carlos Seminary where he dad taken refuge, exposing him to physical endanger and helping Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo suppress the evidence and testimony that would have blown the “Hello Garci” scandal wide open at the time. Rosales has a lot to answer for, including the Catholic Church’s complicity in the destabilization of an elected president, from the year 2000 until Edsa Dos, and the theft of the presidency then and in 2004.

The Catholic Church did condemn Gloria’s cheating machine that became too obvious in 2007 but, up to this day, it has not reviewed the 2004 election that gave rise to the even more blatant cheating by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the incontrovertible “Hello Garci” tapes proves. Obviously, the Catholic Church, dominated by the conservative and corrupted bishops like Rosales, have much to hide in that 2004 elections. Hence, Rosales’ recalcitrance to revisit the “Hello Garci” scandal even if it is intended to close the case once and for all. Does Rosales fear that a closure could cause the conservative bishops to find their next caught between the door and the door jam.

Cardinal Rosales was also quoted in a headline advising Estrada backers: “Don’t take to streets”. The report added that “He (Rosales) asked the laity to remain sober during these times since Estrada’s plunder case was ‘beyond politics,’ rather it was a case of morality”. What is the Archbishop doing pre-empting, as if echoing Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s spin-masters’ line, the Sandigangbayan decision and acting as if he already knows that the verdict is not an “acquittal” but a “conviction“ that could stir “Estrada backers” out of sobriety and into a rampage! Archbishop, your slip is showing! Aren’t you engaging in politics this way? Who are you to prejudge by saying “Estrada’s plunder case…was a case of morality”.

If it was a case of morality, why bring the case to the Sandiganbayan court? A court does not judge on the basis of morality but on the basis of evidence and facts; that is, if it is a regular and an unbiased court. But what can one expect from a “special court” appointed by the accusers in positions of power with interests in seeing the conviction of the accused; with presiding judges seeking from those power wielders appointment to higher office in the judiciary, and “demonstrably corrupt” partisans of Gloria Arroyo like Chavit Singson rooting from the sidelines for conviction or
“or else”. Factual evidence does not matter under this state of affairs; miscarriage of justice is guaranteed.

What compels Cardinal Rosales to divert his attention to this case extraneous to duties when his Church yard is afire: its handmaiden Couples for Christ is in the process of divorce between the Gawad Kalinga materialist under Tony Meloto (enamored by power and money from corporate sponsors) and the “Family and Pro-Life” flock with Frank Padilla. The Couples for Christ represent the main pillar of lay ministry for the Catholic Church, yet the Archbishop doesn’t appear to be doing anything about it. Instead, he’s all over other places – like the Mindanao conflict trying to stop a war that Catholic priest Bossi re-triggered, to the corrupt Gloria and AFP generals’ glee.

Methinks the pre-empting Archbishops’s real reason – like Cardinal Sin before him – is summed up by H.G. Wells: "Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo." Forced to abstain from so much (though some may question this) yet overshadowed in popular worship and overwhelmingly elected at that, by the bon vivant President; but the bon vivant was a good president that opposed corruption (not a single cabinet member charged of graft, unlike Gloria’s cabinet which Rosales seem to be blind to), opposed “sovereign guarantees” to Big Business, opposed rate increases of people’s basic needs, and genuinely cared for the poor – a rival for “the flock”.

Archbishop Rosales should t situate himself in the goings on of this world, then he may open his eyes to what his flock really sees. As the SWS survey shows, “71% say GMA corrupt; 66% say Erap not corrupt “; what morality then is Rosales then questioning about Erap when it is Gloria indicted by passing of time and revelation of empirical truth as the people have seen. But maybe the good Archbishops sense of morality is not the same as the rest of us and more akin to the Abalos clan, which Mayor Benhur, with a dubious sense of hurt, expressed: “Young Abalos cries foul over ‘sexcapades’ charge vs dad” but not a squeak on elder Abalos’ “corrupt-capades”.

Rosales could intervene to save the people from the $ 1.8-B loans Gloria is budgeting which includes not only the NBN deal by the even bigger (P21-B) cyber education project and other such high-kickback deals; or from the unceasing power rate piracy by Meralco and the Philippine Electiricity Market Corporation’s manipulations that is scheduling in advance rate increase every year up to year 2011, and reportedly a P 6/kwh increase through the WESM. Such would be seen a deux ex machina worthy of its sanguine legend in Greek drama; but Rosales’ actions? They are seen only as “deux ex-machinations”.

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