I am grateful for the efforts of many who are now organizing mass mobilizations against Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her oligarchic backers, both foreign and local, in their perpetuation of the corporatocratic booty capitalist regime that has prevailed the past nine years. I thank individuals like Linggoy Alcuaz for gathering anti-Gloria “civil society” forces, many of whom were part of Edsa II but are now enlightened by experience, to lay the groundwork for these mass protests. Mr. Alcuaz has suffered great deprivations since he denounced the corruption in Arroyo’s Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), which has saddled him with countless court hearings of nuisance cases. Last Saturday, he hosted three meetings at his home, keeping his wife Baby Ahorro Alcuaz busy with the day’s food requirements.
We should thank Gloria Arroyo for resuscitating the protest movement at this point. It had gone into almost full hibernation as the country has geared for presidential elections in 2010. But, the imminent convening of the Con-ass, through the Nograles 14th Congress’ passage of the proposition, has re-awakened the movement’s energies, which a dozen presidential hopefuls will be riding on for their 2010 chances. However, unless there is regime change, I wouldn’t encourage them to keep their hopes too high because Mrs. Arroyo is intent on staying until she wastes away while her cohorts in foreign and local Big Business can live long without genuine elections, as long as they continue enjoying the bonanza they get from her. This Con-ass gambit is surely testing the limits of the nation’s patience, particularly the CBCP’s. But once it gets too hot, Gloria still has several options in place.
I wouldn’t put it past Gloria to take two steps back if she finds the resistance to her Con-ass insurmountable. We have previously discussed her alternative plans, one of which former Chief Justice Art Panganiban surmised as a “No Proc” scenario due to a “failure” of computerized elections. This wouldn’t be far-fetched because, aside from the vulnerability to fraud of any computer system, having a weak man and an outright patsy in charge ensures the manipulability of the process. Former Justice Jose Melo is no brave soul, just as he, like Panganiban, has shown no outstanding quality during the course of his professional career that will enable him to stand up to the maniacal will of this regime to hang on to power.
In contrast, the kind of courage and conviction required in this struggle is found in those who have opposed the violation of our Republic and Constitution from the very start. President Joseph Estrada, for one, never used his powers to suppress dissent or bribe any government official with favors or cash, the way Gloria has done with the courts, the police and military generals. The likes of the Bagong Katipuneros, too, led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who have been incarcerated for six years now, have gallantly tried not once but twice to spark our national liberation. And we most certainly count in this league Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, who has been part of military protests since 1989, then in 2006 and 2007, has been twice incarcerated and is still in detention, and is now being seriously eyed for a senatorial or vice-presidential candidacy by various political groups.
The other of Gloria’s self-perpetuation options few know about that will make her unbeatable in a plebiscite--or in the polls, if it comes to that--is the Smartmatic plot which we just got wind of from a very reliable source. Smartmatic bid the lowest, and some say at an impossibly low price of P7.1 billion, for what was earmarked by government to cost around P11 billion and estimated by other bidders like Indra Sistemas to be around P11.2 billion. What was its advantage? Our source says Smartmatic was already paid several billions to allow it to dive its price. And the source of the funds: The First Gentleman. In due time, photos of meetings of the FG with Smartmatic officials will be made public. Two political personalities with US links have been shown the photos by an Obama official, and like the “Hello Garci” tapes, these will be released soon.
Smartmatic was absolutely destined to win the Comelec electronic voting system bid, as it was ensured by the usual corrupt and devious operations of the Arroyo cabal. If some will find this too bizarre to believe, they probably have yet to fully understand the rabidness of this regime’s maniacal obsession to hang on to power. So, while we organize our rallies and demonstrations, I’d like to remind our people of BG Danny Lim’s call to arms:
“To the Officers and Men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines :
Last Tuesday’s brazen railroading of the Con-ass Resolution has erased whatever doubts we have about GMA’s true intention of holding on to power beyond 2010. This is not the first time she has trampled upon the Constitution we have all sworn to follow and respect. The EDSA Dos in 2001 was a coup d’etat that we, as an organization, took part in to oust a duly elected president. The 2004 election cheating, as exposed by the ‘Hello Garci’ tapes, was partly an AFP operation masterminded by the former Chief-of-Staff, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon. Countless other offenses have followed since.
GMA is determined and she will keep on ramming through every perceived obstacle there is, until she attains her much-coveted goal.
Now, only the collective will of the people with the support of the AFP can stop her.
I, therefore, call on every officer and enlisted man to follow your conscience and do what is right –
PROTECT THE PEOPLE AND THE STATE! God bless us all.”
(Tune in to 1098AM, Sulong Pilipinismo, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Monday with Atty. Alan Paguia, Wednesday with former Mayor Jun Simon, Friday with UMDJ’s Ver Eustaquio / Teachers for National Transformation, 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday; Talk News TV, Destiny Cable, Channel 3, 8:15 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Tuesday with a special edition on “Anti-Con-ass Mobilization;” also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
