I don’t blame the people from being pessimistic about joining this late afternoon anti-government rally at Makati City, Philippines. It all boils down to one point, when President Arroyo is ousted or steps down (which is farfetched at the moment as she insistently reiterated she will finish her term [by hook or by crook] up to 2010), would the someone to replace her be any better than her, worst than her or just like her? The people have grown tired of the same thing, showing their concern and desire to change our corrupt political ways but we end up having the worst we have ever known.
All the witnesses coming out in the open to reveal the truth they know about the anomalous government transactions and the hundreds of millions of pesos and or dollars of kickbacks by the government officials spearheading the projects are just as the same as the person they are exposing. The reason behind their surfacing is that they were double-crossed. So what kind of witnesses that makes them? In-credible witnesses I say.
Would I rally behind someone saying he will get a share of the more than $200 million cut for the blocked National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with the Chinese corporation ZTE? The person who said that a few million pesos “is the norm” in every government projects but to him a hundred million dollars is excessively much for his “conscience”? A hundred million pesos is ok but a hundred million dollars is not because it will be too obvious and like he said “bubukol ito” (it will swell up, become too obvious). He said it, after he left “consulting” for the project the amount of kickback swelled to $300 million. Did he came back because he was pissed he was out of the project and he won’t have a share with the bountiful income from it? He insistently said he doesn’t want to testify in the Senate hearing but there he was.
I will not argue though with his kidnapping/abduction. His passport is still not with him the immigration department does not have a record that he went back to the country. His alleged police escort for his security “toured” him around Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Laguna and Cavite for 6 hours is questionable. They knew that they can’t be charged kidnapping if they don’t exceed 6 hours having him in custody, clever a-holes.
Then there is this former House speaker, whom after decades of power in the Lower House, was betrayed and toppled by his colleagues. He, still sour grapping in two consecutive privilege speech he did went blabbing about all the irregularity and anomaly he knows about the present government. Would I rally behind him?
After all the years, he just kept quiet about it. Probably a bargain between him and the President that as long as he keeps his mouth shut he will remain in power at the Congress. The former House Speaker and the President’s relationship became sour after the formers’ son came out accusing the involvement of the President’s husband in anomalous government transactions.
They all know something was wrong but they keep quiet because they have their share of gain. They are speaking of what is moral and that their conscience is beating them hard because of their prolonged silence that is why they are exposing it now, while there is still time. The President will be in her position for less than 2 years now they can’t wait any longer? .
It is all obvious in the way the Palace reacts on every expose that surfaced that it is guilty of all charges. But some turn a blind eye to it thinking about their gain if they react violently or not. The gag orders issued in favor of Executive officials (EO 164).
Now the Palace comes out with another gimmick to divert attention, they revealed a so-called plot to assassinate the President just because of a piece of paper a dumb security guard read bearing “to assassinate the President”. Then this surveillance camera placed strategically in front of the Gate 4 of the LaSalle brother’s dorm. Mr. Former Speaker was thrown out of power because his son slipped about the anomalous government contract that directly involves his “boss”.
However, the NBN deal is not just one of the anomalous government contracts, it’s just the tip of the iceberg and they can reveal more if they wanted to search for more. In addition, if they really want people to rally behind them get credible people who will be courageous enough to make public about what they know, people who does not have any cut from the government deals. Nevertheless, of course this is a dream.
If they or someone comes out to tell every tale he knows what are they going to do about it anyway? Obviously the government knows what to do like what they are doing with Lozada and DeVenecia. They are finding every fault Lozada has to nail him down and besmirch his character. On DeVenecia they already taken back the power they gave him and now they are destroying physical evidences he might have kept in his office.
May I ask what happened to the Hello Garci scandal? Give it a few months time this will be forgotten, a sad truth. Media has the contribution to this buried reality of shenanigans in the present administration. They chase one after another topics and trying to out-scoop their competition. They lose sight of one of their roles to ferret out the truth the people need to know and be an instrument of change in world. But of course I can’t blame them, they are doing the demands of their work and they have to eat too. Sigh.