“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.”

ABZTEFG – deal or no deal?

The real good thing about our
indicatively damaged psyche, come to think of it, is that the senators, as the
Senate now took cognizance of the infamous AB-ZTE-FG scam, behave in such a
misbehaving way – projecting themselves as cordial, objective, impartial,
unknowing – just when it is not the time and place to do so. If these early signs were any indication, it
sets the stage for a final committee report that would, in effect, absolve
Abalos,

Benjamin

; ZTE: and first and
foremost, First Gentleman. When this
happens, the whole exercise is one of gross futility and not surprisingly
enough since as always, Malacanang’s “hatchet men” in the Senate (Enrile,
Angara,

Santiago

)
will always bid orders of GMA, their most favored patron. So what else is new?

A ZTE project that would cost the
Philippine government $329 million is said to be overpriced by as much as $130
million – a reason valid enough why the young JDV cried wolf or turned sour
grape when Amsterdam Holdings, Inc. lost in a bidding that never really took
place. The accusing finger, it now
appears, points to

COMELEC Chairman

Abalos

as the broker. No less than

DOTC Secretary

Mendoza

ought to be as badly implicated as signatory to a supposed-to-be contract or
memorandum of understanding, as witnessed by GMA herself.  Key
government officials appear to have their hands tied on a string at the end of
which shows us First Gentleman as the one pulling it. Did not the young JDV tell us that FG threw
to his face the words – “back off!” – when Abalos,

Mendoza

, even
Teves, and no less than FG all met in a small air-conditioned room in Wack
Wack? Truly, this wacky sum of $329
million – now cast in public view – ought to be looked into.

Ironically enough, the just recently
decided case of plunder of Erap dwarfs in comparison to this AB-ZTE-FG, a
National Broadband Network project where high public officials may have been
possibly involved, directly or indirectly. There are clear indications that there were efforts to do away with the
normal bidding requirements for this broadband cyber-backbone project that
would connect the entire Philippine government structure – digitally.  And if Lacson’s claims be proved true, there
were bribes to this person or that by the project proponent ZTE. Certainly,

JDV

III

is said to have been offered $10 million likewise to withdraw any interest in
the project except that he has to spill
the beans, matter-of-factly.

Problem is, a viewing universe will
have to be glued in their TV sets to monitor developments on this full-dressed
investigation until the whole zarzuela is brought to a vote where predictably,
the tyranny of numbers is king. At the
end of the day, senators will simply tell us, some rules and regulations have
been violated, albeit, not intentionally or with any obvious criminal intent to
defraud the government. They will tell
us that there were no public monies actually spent at any stage of this
transaction and that in fact, had the contract been allowed to be perfected, it
would have redounded to the highest public good (summum bonum). 

Malacanang’s skilled propagandists
have always proven themselves to be reliable cleansing agents. They will turn the table on the young JDV
labeling him as sour-graping, hallucinating and all that. Unwittingly, the young JDV may have pushed
his father to the wall or why indeed should a person like him bear any interest
in big-time government deals such as an NBN project? The old JDV should not have permitted his
young son to ever get involved into projects such as these as it would,
implicitly and explicitly, indicate some personal interests to derive
kickbacks, commissions, rebates, whatever soon as a project is sealed with
approval.

Funny but true, there seems to be no
document to be examined since the very contract or MOA itself is said to have
been lost in a hotel in

China

by you know who. How good can the Senate
really lay the brick one upon another if the bricks are no longer there in the
first place? No one anyway seriously
believes that anything can really come up in this deceiving Senate
investigation. It will be the height of
naivety to even start to believe that anyone will soon be impeached,
imprisoned, fined, or penalized. In the
final analysis, what we are witnessing is a grand zarzuela laid before our eyes
as someone pulls the rugs from under our feet. 

JDV

III

has just launched a sure
senatorial bid come 2010. He will have
my vote – no guts, no glory.

Plunder or blunder?

            The Sandiganbayan verdict finding Erap guilty of plunder, acquitting him for perjury satisfies one self-fulfilling prophecy even known since Day 1 that GMA had the former president, whom she replaced by some methodologically conspiratorial plot, jailed – if indicatively out of constitutional bounds.  Even to this day, no lawyer in his right mind can convincingly argue that GMA’s ascendancy to the presidency is a legitimate one given a clear historical evidence preserved in what was the “hello Garci” wiretapping scandal. 

            Fact is, the Supreme Court long owed it to the Filipino people to have made them understand on what constitutional grounds the legitimacy of GMA’s presidency has been justified.  If even lawyers are not convinced the High Tribunal has well defended its position when it sought to be the arbiter of such a major constitutional question, how much more for the ordinary man in the street?  Historians, scholars, and legal practitioners may have to revisit the past to see whether every brick that was laid upon another would not crumble at the slightest test of truth. Truth can run after time.  Sadly enough, the CBCP chose to cast its shadow.

            The day that lower court laid down the verdict reading first the acquittal of Erap on perjury then the verdict of guilty of plunder the next is truly a cause of national shame for there was an entire viewing universe glued on their TV sets as events unfolded.  If there is at least one rather influential mind that said her piece before the verdict was announced to the public, Senator Miriam Santiago must have given us the best prognosis of what were about to happen even while she knew GMA will never fall into the mistake of acquitting Erap for plunder.  True enough, Malacanang took to the lesser evil. What kind of government is this?

            Again, as Sandiganbayan decided in the way it did, what may have been thought as not too difficult to handle may prove Malacanang wrong.  More military troops and police elements than are necessary may have to be on red alert status to cordon off the Palace from those who were conveniently labeled as destabilizing forces.  While nothing was heard nor seen of the (in)justice secretary known for his venomous attack against those who criticize GMA, it provides little sigh of relief to realize that not only can GMA lie about the audio-taped conversation scam but that she can lie all the way through time – one misdeed after another, after another. 

            No one finds it difficult to conclude that Erap will never see the light of the tunnel that he may have hoped for. 

Senator

Santiago

thought it next to impossibility for a lower court to even go against that of the High Court.  For it to pronounce Erap as not guilty of plunder would be tantamount to saying that the legitimacy of GMA is in question.  Understandably, the Sandiganbayan cannot play Russian roulette – it has to be sure it will lay the verdict of guilt on Erap’s charge of plunder.  Acquitting Erap of perjury has not diminished the public perception of gross partiality of the Sandiganbayan.  It challenges reflection that Erap has been found guilty of plunder when two others have been acquitted of the same charge.  Lawyers say that in criminal procedures, the guilt should be shown or proven beyond reasonable doubt. 

            It seems ironic to hear those in the stock market to appear too delighted about Erap’s verdict of guilty of plunder as if it were such a very positive stimulus. Malacanang’s skilled propagandists may have thought it wise to show how the stock market behaves in spite of such a political situation.   In the language of choreography, such a sub-plot pulling everyone to the dance floor is but a simple sine qua non of having to dance to the political tune being played by Malacanang.  Or what else is this conspiracy of the ruling elites in our state of affairs?

            Perhaps, we have an over-politicized Judiciary that will play subordinate to a supposedly co-equal branch of government or the Executive.  Not remotely, we probably have an Armed Forces of the

Philippines

that is better called as the Armed Forces of Malacanang.  Neither far removed is the possibility that Congress is likewise a mere rubber-stamp of GMA.

            Soon, we shall see writings on the wall.  Various sectors of society might militate against the status quo.  There can be a general breakdown of our cherished institutions.  Some good men in the government of GMA might soon tender their irrevocable resignations.  While history repeats itself, it doesn’t have to repeat its same mistake twice.  If Malacanang succeeded to find Erap guilty of plunder, the Filipino people ought to find GMA as guilty of blunder.  This faux pas,  this Catch 22, this whole legal goobledygook – must be swept in the dustbin of history.

            A great injustice must have been committed – not so much against Erap any more than against the entire Filipino people.  If Erap has not lose his faith on the judiciary even after this sad comeuppance, the rest of us probably must.  Sinner or saint, the second

St. Joseph

might have to come from Bilibid Prisons, matter-of-factly.  Let us please pray for Erap – the icon of the masses in our contemporary life.