Salvation from Gloria's Insanity

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
2/27/2006



If anything was made clear last Friday when Gloria Arroyo imposed the absolutely baseless “state of emergency” rule, it is not that Gloria has the force to enforce anything but that her doom has actually been sealed. Not only that a military general of the stature and respect of General Danila Lim representing the elite Scout Rangers has declared withdrawal of support from Gloria’s regime but also that the AFP’s Philippine Marines and the Special Action Force of the PNP has done the same, the omens against Gloria have been fulfilled.

The only factor that prevents an immediate physical removal without harm of GMA and family from the seat of power Malacañang is the unanimity awaited by General Senga from the other major forces. It is not enough that everybody agrees Gloria has to go, but also who in the military may step into what other responsibilities after the last garbage disposal task is done. Obviously, Gen. Senga did not subscribe to what Gen. Tolentino of the Northern Command said about shooting any officer that will propose withdrawal of support; instead Senga has protected Lim under his “custody”.

The night when Senga took Lim under his “custody” the latter still went home, so there is no detention; only a gentleman’s mutual understanding of a delay in certain concluding events while final arrangements are ironed out. Reports of General Palparan surrounding the Scout Rangers forces while army units faced Marine troops was what Gloria lapdog was yapping about when he repeatedly stressed their efforts as having successfully achieved a “peaceful” situation, but as Senga also repeatedly said in the hours and days that have passed – it is not over. That is, until Gloria is out peacefully.

The impact of Gen. Lim’s and Gen. Franco’s removal from their command and the implication of Col. Querubin of the Marine in the withdrawal of support from Gloria cannot be underestimated. On the day of the mass rallies at the Edsa Shrine last Friday I took the MRT to the Ortigas station to join up with the rally, as I stepped up the train three rookie policemen also came in talking. The gist of the discussion: “Isipin nyo, tatlo sa ating elite forces laban na kay Gloria, anong magagaw natin?” (Imagine, our three elite forces in the AFP and PNP now against Gloria. What will we do?)

Gloria Arroyo imposed herself on the country for five years now but instead of gaining strength through the years with all the resources and opportunities for performance, she has gradually and then precipitously destroyed herself through the unmitigated corruption, arrogance, the use of force over the use of the law, and the continuous taxing of the people’s patience to buy support from vested interest groups and corrupt military and police top brass. Gloria’s attempt to toll the death knell of dissent by assaulting the Tribune was tolling instead her own last rites.

Several of us Tribune columnists rushed to the office at the height of Gloria’s threatened “take over” that Lomibao announced. Ninez stood her ground and would have closed the paper “review” powers were exercised. If we had been closed or controlled we would have started a weblog, as I would also go into Internet broadcasting if I am required by the radio station where I broadcast to “tone down” – and there are already pleadings that I tone down. But so far, Gloria has blinked in taking her hands of Tribune and that also shows that she is really very weal and all the bluster is just bluff.

Gloria is all bluff; but made credible for a while by the use of force of the PNP riot squads, not anti-riot squads because they start the riots. Lomibao has willfully used the PNP to implement illegal, brutal, anti-democractic orders; he and his men will also pay for their unconscionable crimes when Gloria is lined up in court. Gloria’s emergency rule is unconstitutional, PNP cancellation of rally permits is illegal, stopping peaceful and orderly marches is unlawful, warrantless arrests is a transgression of the people’s rights, it will be long sentence for the police officials responsible.

Gloria and her PNP has not implemented Martial Law in the declaration of a “state of emergency”, they are implementing Mafia Law. They have persistently violated the laws governing behavior of cops at rallies, such as the ban on guns amongst those facing the rally marchers, the absence of name tags, aiming truncheons at any part of the body above torso, among many other violations. The CIDG “invitations” to Gen. Montaño and “arrest” of Cong. Crispin Beltran are clearly illegal, those who followed those orders must pay with their pensions and with time in jail someday.

Gloria’s orders have made the PNP nothing but a gang of mindless thugs, illiterate in the law and heartless in its behavior. The AFP as a whole has made every effort to maintain its faithfulness to the Constitution and still does, but in the face of a patently illegal regime that proves itself more and more illegal as time goes on it is being compelled to act on its conscience. There are, however, evil elements supported by foreign powers like Palparan who skirt the real chain of command of the military institution. We hope Esperon comes to his senses soon enough.