PLAK! Pera lang ang katapat.

Questions: Why would a Comelec Commissioner and a Shariah Court judge allow themselves to be ridiculed by a neophyte senator who himself has been accused of graft? Why would people lie outright on national TV? What self-respect will be left to those who are caught lying and continue to prevaricate? Why are they willing to be subjected to public humiliation because they are caught cheating, lying and abusing their given authority? Why do they continue to cover-up for a cheater, liar, stealer? Why would people decry the present government, only to make a complete turn-around? Remember Mahusay? Mahusay ang pagkagawa!

One simple answer: PLAK. Pera Lang ang Katapat. Some other people have discovered how much the Commissioner and Judge cost, and have paid them accordingly. Everybody in Philippine politics can be labeled as either "sold" or "for sale". Almost no exception, especially those 50 years and above. We see bright, articulate young men on TV, but it's easy to label them as "sold". Mike Defensor comes to mind. Chiz Escudero? Hmm, let's all groom him as "not for sale".

CSI

The CSI series is so successful that it has spun off two other versions. The spin offs are equally good and there is still another show called NCIS which is still about crime investigations. To my mind part of the charm of the CSI franchise comes the theme songs. All three CSI shows use music from The Who as theme songs.

The original CSI, with Roger Daltrey singing 'who are you? who? who? who? who?' in the promo trailer, rekindles memories of that great '60s-'70s band. The theme song very aptly adds essence of the show. The producers followed up the success with CSI:Miami. Another song from The Who became the theme music - 'Won't get fooled again!'. Again, very apt. Still the producers came up with CSI:New York. And again they did not miss with 'Baba O'Riley' from The Who (who else) as theme music.

In the coming impeachment/truth commission investigations, we don't need CSI:Metro Manila to know who is guilty. Just from GMA's reactions/inaction to the jueteng and wiretap controversies we can conclude that she is guilty. The present stance of some members of the civil society indicate not a wait and see attitude. It's not weighing its options, it is maximizing its return on investment before investing anew on another leader.

The Who's songs in the CSIs are all very apt to the current situation.
To the question of whose voices are on the recordings, we sing--
Well, who are you? (who are you? who, who, who, who? )/I really wanna know (who are you? who, who, who, who? )/Tell me, who are you? (who are you? who, who, who, who? )/’cause I really wanna know (who are you? who, who, who, who? )

The anti-GMA rallyists sing -
I don’t need to fight/ To prove I’m right/ I don’t need to be forgiven

And we the people say -
won't get fooled again

We’ll be fighting in the streets/ With our children at our feet/ And the morals that they worship will be gone/ And the men who spurred us on/ Sit in judgement of all wrong/They decide and the shotgun sings the song

I’ll tip my hat to the new constitution/ Take a bow for the new revolution/ Smile and grin at the change all around/ Pick up my guitar and play/ Just like yesterday/ Then I’ll get on my knees and pray/ We don’t get fooled again

The change, it had to come/ We knew it all along/ We were liberated from the fold, that’s all/ And the world looks just the same/ And history ain’t changed/ ’cause the banners, they are flown in the next war

I’ll move myself and my family aside/ If we happen to be left half alive/ I’ll get all my papers and smile at the sky/ Though I know that the hypnotized never lie/ Do ya?

There’s nothing in the streets/ Looks any different to me/ And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye/ And the parting on the left/ Are now parting on the right/ And the beards have all grown longer overnight

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
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Let’s get it on!

GMA is clearly in denial. At her SONA, she made no mention of the political crisis she caused on herself and on the country. She said she will continue her economic reforms regardless of the costs. Coming from one with an MS, that means More of the Same programs that she has been imposing on us for five years. And the lady has a PhD too, that means we’ll be buried under programs Piled higher and Deeper. There’s no escape for the Filipino people.

Meanwhile, she is opening the ChaCha debate to escape from the rut she is in. She took the JDV and FVR bait on the parliamentary system. JDV has been ranting on the benefits of the parliamentary system in Europe, and why the Filipinos go there for jobs. Somebody has to remind him of the US model. The point is the system did not drag us down. It’s the people that run the system that caused all this. Even if we shift to any other system, if it’s led by people like GMA, JDV, Erap, and FVR, we’ll still be in this hellhole. Did the present system make all those loans? Did the present system sign the EPIRA? Did the system make them accept jueteng payoff and call Garci? Did the system overprice public works projects? I don't think so!

If they can convince the people that the new system will replace the greedy, patronage politics that we have, then the people will gladly embrace change. But not if it's clearly to distract us from the real issues. And certainly not before uncovering the truth about Gloria. So, are you ready GMA? Are you ready impeachment/truth commission? Let’s get it on!

GMA has to go now

GMA has to go now before the people drives her out of office. Filipinos are very patient. We put up with Marcos for a long time. During martial law, many rallies and protests called for FM's ouster. But even with Ninoy's murder, it still took quite a while before protests reached a critical mass. The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back was election related. We remember Enrile admitting that he was ordered to produce votes in his province. We remember the walk-out of data-entry volunteers. Filipinos can bear with lots of government abuses, but not electoral fraud because we believe that election is the only way we can remove an unpopular leader.

The Filipinos patience was once again evident with the way we put up with Erap. The news of his drinking binges, lavish lifestyle and extramarital activities were not enough to anger most of the people. But with the jueteng controversy, the people believed it's his time to go. Maybe we didn't like the idea that the small change (a small fortune to most bettors) we bet being skimmed off. 'Munting pangarap na nga, kinukupitan pa'.

But what could have been GMA thinking? She has committed the two crimes that caused FM's and Erap's downfalls. Electoral fraud and jueteng. That shows how bad a leader she is, and how greedy she is. It won't be long before we, the people show her what we do with such leaders.

No alternative? Only for simple minds

Secretary Ignacio Bunye says there is no alternative to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. That's true only to his simple mind, and it doesn't take away the fact that she isn't fit to run this country anymore.

The country cannot rise again with Ms Arroyo at the helm. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel is right in demanding Ms Arroyo's resignation to pave the way for a snap election. But a snap election will take too long and will be costly, divisive and prone to controversy and manipulation just as the 2004 elections were.

If Ms Arroyo resigns now, she will be treated more kindly by the people and later by history. Ferdinand Marcos and Joseph Estrada had come to know this. But if Ms Arroyo insists on hanging on to power and dragging us deeper into the mess, she'll be booted out of office, literally, by an angry mob.

The smoothest way to Philippine recovery is Ms Arroyo's resignation. Not coups, not people power, not US intervention, not a snap election. I'm not a fan of Vice President Noli de Castro, but he gets to inherit the post. He needs all the help he can get. Everybody who wants anybody but Ms Arroyo should help. He should be acceptable to civil society because it invested in him, and he should be acceptable to the masses because of his roots. He has no bad record yet. I just wish there is no tape of his alleged "AC/DC operations" while he was with the media. Page A14, Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 21, 2004