The big rally last November 30 was a day which marked the death of a national hero who stood against political corruption of his own in his day. The Bonifacio Day event this time,triggered by the massive rot in government anomalies unearthed by this current administration, may have been the last of the latest political mania or “wokeness”
There was a more intimidating gathering previously, ostensibly religious, unmistakably political. All is well that ends well. The political skirmishes will continue , for sure, but it will hopefully, logically scale down to what is even more manageable for the nation.
Thank you. Now we can all breathe more easily, meaning, with the advent of Christmas, life is back again to normal, even if government is hard put to explain why or how a P500 budget is realistic for a noche buena. Besides, a sense of a thanksgiving is in the air. There is still much to count blessing for as we end the year with the season of storms ending,too.,
Hope springs eternal. For one, President Bongbong is probably over the worst and 2028 beckons. In other words, any idea that entertains that a change in regime will happen is feckless or clueless. A coup or junta on Christmas season— the longest celebration in this neck of the woods— is unimaginable or out of touch.
Even if PBBM may not make the timeline to jail those found guilty in the insane rush to steal people’s money via public works projects on or before Christmas, there are signs that he’s doing his darn best to make good his promise.
He has compelled or persuaded a public works engineer to return P110 million in public works money, a first in the history of the country. More are expected to be returned. Another official is expected to make a better gesture by returning P1 billion sooner or later. PBBM has no competition in this contest, which many believes is a race against time. Retribution, like healing of an injury, is a matter of time.
PBBM must have done his homework. Or, on the other side, those who opposed him have not. There was a brief time, the public became jittery that the political legworks triggered by public works corruption would end up in a political denouement similar to what took place in 1986.
The President may have been ill- advised that the annual celebration of the Peaceful Revolution at EDSA in 1984 should already have a public closure as far as the public holidays were concerned. The advice may have been premature given the subsequent public uprising against corruption that follow
To borrow a favorite adjective by an American president, those who thought the PBBM presidency will eventually cave from the great pressure from public opinion was “misundersestimated”. There was an anticipation, if not a prayer, to this end. The self-serving logic of the vice president was evident,. given the public ruckus. She’s ready to take wheels of government. The Constitution is clear, after all.
The timing of the so-called expose against PBBM for instigating the massive corruption in public work projects involving billions was obviously planned , along with the marches and louder call for him to resign to bring down the present government.
It appeared that PBBM was more than ready and prepared than his vice president. He was a former president’s son. He was a former dictator’s son. He could have been a future emperor or king’son if history or fate did not intervene 1986.
He must have learned a thing or two in politics, both in theory and practice from a former dictator. He must have imbibed some Machiavellian tips from an authoritarian leader, although its doubtful if the younger Marcos practices it. Certainly, the evolution of the former dictator son is shown not by his intelligence or power but by his ability to handle the corruption issues and fallouts , even against him, and the public outcry for justice and reforms.
It has been said that the former dictator thought his daughter was the more import tant version of him intellectually than the namesake. The senator was also more audacious in vilifying his brother, the wife and the family of drug use.
The senator’s public spiel or spill on the day of a huge rally by a large religious group was apparently aimed at PBBM’s political jugular. When it failed to work, as a proposed a civilian-military junta was unable to install a new president, the organizers decided to cut the rally off, from three days to two.
AS plain luck or sheer coincidence would have it, a former president’s request for interim release from the Internation Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague was dismissed. This heavily doused any hope that those entertaining a regime change will occur as the former president is set to face soon a case of crime against humanity.
In fact, a former legal adviser of the former president at The Hague blames the present dispensation of using the ICC dismissal of his request for interim release as a diversionary tactic by PBBM. It is also a tacit admission that the ICC decision may have ruled the former president’s value out of the political calculus of those plotting and manipulating for regime change.
For now, the nation is relatively safe from political upheaval after the public has vented its frustration through rallies and marches, big and small, against corruption in government where even top leaders are in a cloud of doubt. The investigations, prosecutions and accountabilies must therefore continue as matter of justice not just politics.
PBBM has the perfect pulse of the nation. He must read it well and act accordingly.
