Disenchantment was in the air

GOTCHA, Published in The Philippine Star, Friday, November 30, 2007

Rejection of “a morally bankrupt government” by dozens of sectoral leaders presaged yesterday’s insurgence in Makati. It came in the form of a full-page ad in broadsheets Wednesday by, among others, Catholic, Born-Again and Protestant bishops. Jailed soldier-senator Antonio Trillanes, who with Gen. Danny Lim led the call for President Gloria Arroyo’s ouster, was himself a signatory. So were Bishops Antonio Tobias and Julio Labayen, who rushed the Peninsula Hotel to support the mutineers.

Some of the rest: Sen. Jamby Madrigal, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, United Methodist Church Bishop Solito Toquero, United Church of Christ Bishop Eliezer Pascua, Most Rev. Godofredo David of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Bishop Dan Balais of the Philippines for Jesus Movement, and Rev. Job Santiago of the Philippine Baptist Churches.

They recalled Arroyo’s promise upon taking office in 2001 to usher in good governance by example of honest leadership. Seven years hence, the nation “instead reaped pain and ruin.” Political killings and kidnappings “have heightened (although) the pattern of abuse was brought to the attention of the President.” Billions of pesos are “shamelessly diverted to serve personal political interests”, namely: fertilizer scam, ZTE scam, and Malacañang bribery of legislators and governors. Although declared illegal by the Supreme Court, the government “bludgeons” protesters against such abuses. (The United Nations confirmed in a report also on Wednesday that Arroyo’s administration has done little to stop the human rights violations.)

Also presaging the standoff at the Peninsula Hotel was a statement of the second largest congregation of Catholic nuns against immoral rule. The Religious of the Good Shepherd, in national convention, declared no more succor for the Arroyo administration.

Likewise presaging the face-off was a declaration by major business groups of disgust with the Malacañang bribery. The Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, Financial Executives Institute, Bishop-Businessmen’s Conference, Foundation for Economic Freedom, and Action for Economic Reform urged an independent probe. The chambers of commerce of Cebu, Northern Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Bicol joined in. Earlier, the same groups deplored a growing culture of impunity among Arroyo officials. The ZTE anomaly and other irregularities displayed this, they said.

In short the most influential segments of civil society have expressed disenchantment with the administration. Sadly, the latter apparently has chosen to ignore them.

The initial official retort to exposés of contract rigging for ZTE was to taunt the complainants as sour grapes and intimidate the press. When the story grew just the same and Arroyo was forced to cancel the stinky deal, the new line was that Senate investigators were beating a dead horse.

Anticipating a tough impeachment case against Arroyo from the ZTE scam, allies filed a sham complaint as yearlong preemption. Arroyo’s party offered P2 million each to six opposition congressmen to lend credence to the farce. Speaker Jose de Venecia dared Arroyo to lead a moral overhaul, then promptly forgot it. Malacañang invited 190 congressmen to breakfast and tens of local officials to lunch, specifically to give them P500,000 apiece. And then Arroyo’s party again claimed responsibility for it as cover-up. To Senate summons of Palace subalterns to shed light on the string of scandals, the response was a collective snub on the grounds of executive privilege. There were also Malacañang pretensions of separate probes by the pliable Presidential Anti-Graft Commission and the Ombudsman.

Things were coming to a boil. Something just had to give — and so the clash yesterday at Makati. But it was over in a flash. Since solders were reluctant to hurt fellow-soldiers, police were ordered to subdue Trillanes and Lim with tanks, bazookas and machineguns. Interior Sec. Ronaldo Puno, as field marshal of yesterday’s police suppressors, has endeared himself more than ever to Arroyo.

* * *

Four national artists lead top cultural performers in a tribute tonight to novelist-journalist-unionist Ka Amado V. Hernandez at the CCP, Manila. In the concert “Amado Minamahal...”, Bienvenido Lumbera, Ben Cabrera, Salvador Bernal and Napoleon Abueva will also honor with elegies Andres Bonifacio, whose 144th birthday the nation celebrates. The works of the two patriots will be presented, along with those of the late national artists Lucio San Pedro and Felipe de Leon, 8 p.m. at Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo.

Also top-billed are music, dance and poetry by Bituin Escalante, Robert Seña, Bobby Balingit, Ana Feleo, Nanding Josef, Ramon Acoymo, Tribu, Brown-man Revival, Madrigal Singers, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, and Ballet Philippines Kids.

Organizing the affair is the Amado V. Hernandez Resource Center, which promotes the causes and works of the national artist.