Devious and cunning Arroyo

REY O. ARCILLA

‘There is a limit to the patience of a long-suffering people.’

A MONTH ago, I wrote:

"Will she or won’t she? This seems to be the question uppermost in the minds of many people nowadays.

"It has to do with whether or not Ms. Gloria Arroyo will run for Congress next year. That’s a no-brainer. She will run. Otherwise, she just might end up running…. away.

"How about running as vice president? That’s another no-brainer. She won’t, for the simple reason that she will not win. And then she will also end up running… away.

"I hope that settles that."

***

Well, now she has done it. She has filed her certificate of candidacy for a seat in the House of ill-repute (given the present majority of its members, including her two sons and two in-laws). She’ll feel at home there.

"After much soul-searching, I have decided I will file my certificate of candidacy for Congress in order to serve the hard-working people of my province," Arroyo said.

Really now? To begin with, many are wondering if she has a soul. Others question her real motive.

If her purpose is to acquire a modicum of immunity from legal suits that will hound her the minute she vacates Malacañang, she won’t get it. And I think she is aware of that.

If her purpose, as many speculate, is to eventually become speaker of the House and force through Charter change, she won’t succeed either.

She knows only too well the immense powers of a president and the tremendous government resources at his disposal.

For instance, will she be able to match the P70 million a year pork barrel that each of some 280 congressmen will get? Assuming she has amassed enough money to match that, there are still the 10,000-odd government positions that a president can use as bargaining leverage.

The bureaucracy, the military the police and even the judiciary, will also be under the influence and virtual control of a president. A president can make even the private sector toe the line.

Can she match all that? I think not. Ergo, she will never be the speaker that she hopes to be.

There is also the Senate to reckon with. If she thinks she will have a Senate sympathetic to a charter change that will abolish that chamber, she has another think coming. And let’s not forget, can she match the P200 million a year pork barrel each Senator will get?

If she thinks the majority of congressmen who will get elected in May next year will come from her ruling coalition, she’s wrong. Most of the candidates identified with her regime will not be going back to the House. And for sure, most of those who will win Senate seats will come from the opposition.

I hope that settles that.

***

Some say a Congress controlled by Arroyo can thwart the legislative agenda of a sitting president. Well, we don’t need any more laws to get this country moving forward. We have a surfeit of them. The only thing that is needed is their faithful implementation.

The only way a hostile House can hurt a sitting president is through the enactment of the national budget. But this will not be a problem to a president who presents a good, purposeful and a cogently presented budget proposal. Opposing congressmen will have the people to deal with should they make it difficult for such a budget to pass.

***

Knowing how devious and cunning she is, Ms. Arroyo must have already taken into account all of the above. So she must have some fallback positions in mind.

One of those could be to cheat in the May elections in order for her "anointed" to win. Another could be to ensure a failure of elections. If she does resort to either one, there will be hell to pay. There is a limit to the patience of a long-suffering people. History is replete with oppressive leaders who paid for their abuses either through exile or the ultimate price, death – Marcos, Duvalier, Stroessner, Idi Amin, Mussolini, Ceaucescu, etc.

Arroyo would definitely be well-advised to begin considering such an eventuality. One could sense that the majority of the people no longer just dislike or distrust her. They are angry with her and are beginning to hate her and her family. They feel she has become so intoxicated with power that she will go to any length to keep it.

While the majority of the people are no longer inclined to resort to people power at this stage, they would most certainly not allow their will to be thwarted once again, not after waiting four long years, from the time the "Hello Garci" scandal came to light to the May 2010elections. They do not want her messing with their lives beyond June 30 next year. In fact, if they had their druthers, they want her out of Malacañang yesterday.

***

Weird, dreadful, moronic.

These are some of the words I’ve heard or read to describe the Supreme Court decision allowing appointive government officials running for elective positions to remain in office after filing their certificates of candidacy (COCs) and even during the campaign period.

The Court ruled that the pertinent provision of the Omnibus Election Code that such officials shall be ipso facto resigned upon their filing of their COCs is discriminatory against such persons, compared to elective officials who needn’t resign.

If this is the kind of decision that we may expect from the Arroyo-packed Supreme Court, then the country will be in for trouble. Let us hope and pray it will not be so.

***

Is the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao a dress rehearsal for its imposition nationwide at some future time?

Who knows what evil design Arroyo has in mind just to stay in power?

***

Rottie Harmon writes:

"The government has declared martial law in Maguindanao and it reportedly has the approval of the MILF. The MILF even is allowing government troops to pursue Ampatuan armed supporters in areas under its control. Wow! What a shame. MILF insurgents giving permission to government soldiers to do their job.

"I hope government soldiers are not clearing areas controlled by the Ampatuans for future occupation by the MILF.

"The MILF is supposed to be an insignificant splinter group of the MNLF, but the GMA government has given it a larger than life identity. It has even involved foreign governments to help in the so-called peace talks.

"So far, the only significant achievement of the government’s negotiations with the MILF is that it almost created a new nation in Mindanao out of that MOA for a Muslim Juridical Entity.

"The talks seem to be always in favor of the MILF. We negotiate in a Muslim country, Malaysia, and we are trying to become an observer in the OIC. We have so far surrendered the very basic element of negotiations – neutrality of the venue. Malaysia, for obvious reasons is not one that can be considered neutral on this issue.

"As regards the Ampatuans, they are being dropped like hot potatoes. Obviously, not all members of the clan are bad. But nonetheless, all of them have to suffer. A deal (alliance) between untrustworthy parties is always bound to meet this kind of conclusion. That said, the Ampatuans, out of their own impunity, are obviously at the wrong end of the bargain.

"God help the Philippines."

***

Quote of the week: "Just because they’re in this situation doesn’t mean we will already turn our backs on them. It doesn’t mean that they are no longer our friends, if ever they, indeed, committed the crime."—Lorelei Fajardo, deputy presidential mouthpiece, on the friendship between Ms. Arroyo and the Ampatuans.

Yikes!

***

There are 204 days left before the end on 30 June 2010 of the stolen presidency of Ms. Arroyo, courtesy of "Garci", et al.

***

Today is the 217th day of the third year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.

***

Email: roacrosshairs@yahoo.com