Short political memory

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
7/2/2007



John Kenneth Galbraith said tongue-in-cheek : “Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory.”

Hardly had the ink dried on some opposition senators’ proclamation and their senate seats warmed that they forget the people’s election message already: “Mr. Tiyaga” Villar could not patiently hold his itch and went straight out to Gloria to get the administration’s votes for the Senate presidency. Te be-gloved boxer candidate Alan Cayetano as senator has quickly put down the gloves saying it is “more prudent” to cooperate with Gloria – forgetting he won because he jumped into the ring against Gloria! Chiz Escudero is quiet, but his empty “No New Tax” promise already echoes Gloria.

If there was a message from the electorate that were clear and resounding in the last election it was that: that the people unequivocally voted to repudiate Gloria and everything about her, i.e. EPIRA, PPA, Garci, Bolante, PD 1017, 464, economic globalization and all her actions through the past seven years; and secondly the unmistakable demand to reject Gloria’s tax measures particularly the RVAT which the people expressed through the trouncing of Mr. RVAT Ralph Recto who fell from his top five perch in the surveys to land 14th and beyond reach of the 12th and last seat.

Villar has started to play 2010 politics with what the people consider as priority tasks in investigation of government anomalies through the Blue Ribbon Committee. Instead of assigning the committee to opposition senators who have the skills, the resources and the track record in investigating Gloria’s anomalies, like 2010-rival Senator Panfilo Lacson; Villar is reportedly giving the powerful committee to Mr. Noted who will certainly do nothing more than noting the issues. Kiko Pangilinan has never distinguished himself in any senate deliberations in the past and is not expected to in this Congress.

The only newly elected opposition senator that is showing an unfailing and clear memory of the people’s message in the election is Senator Antonio Trillanes IV who has been without fail and without let up in his pursuit of the popular mandate - i.e. the order, command, directive, decree, dictate, instruction, fiat from the people and obligation to the voters – dig into the “Hello Garci” case, electoral fraud, Gloria’s anomalies, AFP and government corruption, the “dying society” and the “endless war”. Hence, Trillanes’ continuing call for the impeachment of Gloria and, by extension, the system.

Senator Trillanes was very clear in his proclamation speech at the Comelec hall, reiterating his debt to the people who voted for him and promising to serve only them; even in the heady euphoria of victory, amidst the glare of spotlights and the din of media interviews he showed that he would not be forgetting. He followed this up with his Oath Taking with the people where I joined and saw the Erap-FPJ effect – crowds and media drowning him in a tidal wave welcome, and where again he reiterated his commitment to GMA’s impeachment and electoral fraud investigations.

Senator Trillanes’ consistency is a breath of fresh air in the fetid wind of traditional Philippine politics long known for obtuseness political double talk. This is not appreciated by those inured to the foibles of the prevailing system, and attack dogs are already being unleashed to gnaw at Trillanes’ “knight in shining armor” mien: the renowned AC-DC journalist Tulfo began writing utterly false allegations of Trillanes’ “five cars” and huge properties in Palawan. The government radio Radyo ng Bayan pillories Trillanes day in and day out; but all this is to no avail – the people love him.

We can inform Mr. John Kenneth Galbraith without tongue-in-cheek now that: “Nothing is so admirable in politics as a good memory.” Unfortunately, he already passed away last year.

With Gloria launching a new wave of “buy the enemy” campaign opening up vacancies in the GOCC’s for those from the opposition in the senate, congress, “the amnesty-able” aimed presumably some of the military dissidents like Honasan’s group, and political opposition-at-large, will our “Revolution by Election” still work or will Gloria co-opt all the major critical forces and forge a compromise to keep the corrupt and dirty system going? This is the fundamental question, and only Trillanes is consistently hitting at the mark.

Can there still be change the electorate hanker for? The answer has been put in doubt so early right after election because of the short memory of opposition senators who are already collaborating with Gloria. Many hoped the defeat of the TU would mean change rising in the horizon, but this change is not apparent in the developments – unless Trillanes’ crusade to pursue the investigations of Gloria’s anomalies are attained and open the way to truth and progress. Only truth can begin the process of change in leadership, in moral and policy direction.

So soon after the election I again hear from many that a Revolution by any means is unavoidable because the failed institutions: the farce of Philippine politics, Gloria’s zero mandate, the senate opposition cop outs, the Comelec shenanigan in Maguindanao, the Supreme Court failures, the finance department imbroglio, the pay-for-post CA revelations, killings of dissidents, the peso appreciation crisis, all point to the collapse of our institutions. Hope in the system has quickly faded, only Trillanes keeps the remembrance of hope alive. Snap elections 2008?

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