Evil evolving

EDITORIAL

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06/14/2009

Aclose ally, Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman confirmed the fears of many about Gloria’s political perpetuity gameplan through a parliamentary shift saying Gloria will definitely run for a congressional seat in next year’s elections.

Gloria’s camp is now in a saturation drive for a variation of Charter change (Cha-cha) plan for the public to accept as a normal political transition.

That transition would be with Gloria sliding from the presidency into being a member of Congress, since the push for a constituent assembly would likely find fruition only after the 2010 elections, as this could well be due to the public outrage generated against House Resolution 1109 that seeks to convene the con-ass.

To be more accurate, the indignation rally in Makati City, by itself, hardly made Gloria Arroyo and her military and police generals cower in fear, but fear it had instilled in them, mainly due to heightened perception of serious political instability that in turn creates a negative impact on the Philippine economic picture, which is already pretty dismal at this point.

But the apparent gameplan is to let the elections proceed with Gloria running for a congressional seat and take on the speakership, and on her own, along with her lackeys in Congress, keep the Cha-cha train going.

The floating of Gloria for Congress plan was immediately presented after the fragile coalition in the House whose members were either coerced or bribed to support the con-ass resolution showed signs of crumbling amid the widespread public protest against amending the Charter before the elections are held next year.

The Church, even when clearly trying to avoid being thrust into the frontline of the protest movement against Cha-cha made it clear it would oppose any changes in the Constitution before the elections next year. But it is unclear how the bishops will be opposing it, since they insist they can’t be expected to lead protest actions against the Gloria government.

Guadencio Cardinal Rosales, archbishop of Manila, was even quoted in reports as saying that politicians had approached him to join the rally but that he had said no, because he claims he is non-partisan.

That’s a cop-out, because in these times, not doing anything — even in denouncing the evil moves of the Malacañang tenant to obtain political perpetuity is already being partisan toward Gloria Arroyo, for to do nothing and say nothing is exactly what Gloria wants as there would be no opposition to her plans.

The apparent plan now is to let the steam off on the opposition against Cha-cha and pursue it with the same objective of giving Gloria an indefinite term.

Gloria aiming for a House seat would be a callous desecration of the prestige of the presidency and it would be a first for the country and a shameless show of her rabid ambitions.

Gloria also evidently does not plan to stop hounding the nation of her political designs, which only fosters divisiveness.

The chief reason for Gloria’s reluctance to leave the political scene, however, is to escape accountability and restitution.

Gloria or so she and her allies believe, would retain immunity from prosecution at least for six more years as a member of the House that would appear to be time enough to concoct a better alternative to guarantee that she stays forever in power.

The challenge posed to the nation has also shifted. The fight against evil now cannot be won by the mere gesture of Gloria giving up the presidency next year to a successor. It is evident that Gloria is prepared to do a political mutation to achieve her target of everlasting power.

The call now should be to purge Gloria from the political landscape to prevent her from causing any more damage to the country.

But slaying evil, it seems, would take longer than earlier seen.

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