The Nation is Strong?

President Arroyo ended her 7th State of the Nation Address with the following sentences: "They say the campaign for the next election started on May 15, the day after the last. Fine. I stand in the way of no one’s ambition. I only ask that no one stand in the way of the people’s well being and the nation’s progress. The time for facing off is over. The time is here for facing forward to a better future our people so desperately want and richly deserve. Uulitin ko: Hindi ako sagabal sa ambisyon ninuman. But make no mistake. I will not stand idly when anyone gets in the way of the national interest and tries to block the national vision. From where I sit, I can tell you, a President is always as strong as she wants to be. Pagpalain tayo ng Diyos at ang dakilang gawaing hinaharap natin. The state of the nation is strong. Inyong lingkod, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas."

By the 25th of July or exectly three days after she delivered her SONA, broadsheets reported water and energy crises the country will face if water sources continue to dry up because of the extended summer. People were still reacting to a very infrastructure-biased, politician coddling and lack of identified sources of fund SONA of the President, what with a declaration that the "Nation is Strong." There was no mention of the deficit blowout that is about to hit the Pilipinas ceiling. No mention of poverty, of hunger, etc.

Indeed, from where I sit watching intently the highly political rhetoric, I recall the most applauded line of the night: "From where I sit, I can tell you, a President is always as strong as she wants to be." So tell me Madam President, what has been accomplished not from 2002 but lets just speak of 2004, during your inaugural address where you laid out your 10-point legacy agenda, to the present. Surely, the powers you hold are so vast that you can create change and pursue reform. Surely, you yield power tremendously that anything is possible... just to serve our people...surely...


Inaugural Speech:
The 14th President, enumerated her 10-point legacy after she steps down in 2010:
1. The creation of six million jobs in six years via more opportunities given to entrepreneurs, tripling of the amount of loans for lending to small and medium enterprises and the development of one to two million hectares of land for agricultural business.

2. The construction of new buildings, classrooms, provision of desks and chairs and books for students and scholarships to poor families,

3. The balancing of the budget,

4. The "decentralization" of progress around the nation through the use of transportation networks like the roll-on, roll-off and the digital infrastructure,

5. The provision of electricity and water supply to barangays nationwide,

6. The decongestion of Metro Manila by forming new cores of government and housing centers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,

7. The development of Clark and Subic as the best international service and logistic centers in the region,

8. The automation of the electoral process,

9. A just end to the peace process, and

10. A fair closure to the divisiveness among the Edsa 1, 2 and 3 forces.

The Unprecedented 5th!

What a way to get the 5th! After 5 hours of plenary debate starting 10:00 a.m. of 23 July 2007 up to just a few hours before PGMA delivered her 7th SONA, the House of Representatives used all parliamentary and unparliamentary ways to question the roll call, presiding officer, the rules for the nomination of a Speaker of the House, quorum, among others. Interestingly, even if 159 voted for Rep. Jose de Venecia to be Speaker, in the end he was unopposed since the presumptive candidate from KAMPI was not even nominated. Lets see if it will be business as usual or the same old barrel.

When Majority Becomes Minority

23 July 2007 - Senator Manuel Villar was re-elected by the Group of 15 to the Senate Presidency together with Sen. Jinggoy Estrada as President Pro Tempore and Sen. Kiko Pangilinan as Majority Floor Leader. Villar became Senate President not because of the Opposition Bloc which numerically had a majority than the Administration Bloc. Villar became Senate President because of 8 votes from the pro-Administration, consisting of Angara, Arroyo, Enrile, Gordon, Lapid, Revilla, Santiago, and Zubiri; 2 votes from the so-called independents: Honasan and Pangilinan and 4 from the Genuine Opposition, Cayetano (P), Escudero and Estrada plus the turncoat (she was with the Pimentel Group initially), Cayetano (P).

Nene Pimentel has 8 votes: Lacson, Madrigal, Roxas, Aquino, Biazon, Trillanes, Pimentel and Villar (a courtesy vote). Had the Genuine Opposition really followed the mandate given by the people last May 2007, the minority today would have been the majority in the Senate with the Pimentel 8, Cayetano (A), Escudero, Estrada and Pangilinan or a total of 12. This can further go up if Cayetano (P) would join them, hence a Magic 13. But that's magic, so today we are left with no gain after May.

On the way to the Senate Presidency, the Villar Camp has stated that the Lacson-led camp pushing for Pimentel forgot to consult them. In retaliation, Villar decided to tap the Wednesday Club and "took care of Estrada." A simple formula indeed. What Estrada wants, Estrada gets and whoever has the Junior Estrada in their folds, gets the Senate Presidency. Get Sen. Arroyo, one gets his foot inside the belly of the pro-Administration. While the Lacson-led (or is it Roxas-led?) Group started revealing all their plans in media (even the secret voting part), creating a lot of noise in the process, the Villar Group was so quiet, one can't even see the shadows moving behind. Cayetano (A) will definitely join Villar since he is the Secretary General of the Nacionalistas. He will bring his sister with her. Taguig is close to Las Pinas too. Escudero was the poster boy of the FPJ for President as its spokesperson. He is with NPC (Danding Cojuangco). Silent water runs deep when it comes to Escudero and Lacson. Estrada is simple to discern - President Pro Tempore in 3 years is not bad. Better than the father when he was senator.

Let us see how the spoils will be divided. Although most of the ranking positions have been filled up, there are 2 major committees that matter most in a deliberative body: Blue Ribbon and Finance. In the old days of the Senate, much is said about the Seniority Rule. Today under Villar II, it would seem the exception rather than the general rule. In fact, Villar may just have painted himself to a corner with the news that the pro-Administration Group led by Sen. Santiago is insisting for a status quo in the Blue Ribbon Committee. How would Cayetano, Escudero and Estrada take that? Will Pangilinan leave his position if the Santiago Group becomes more aggressive with its position?

The Blue Ribbon is key if we base on the campaign platform of the Genuine Opposition. Corruption was the mantra, but then again who is more genuine between the majority and the minority? Or are they all shades of grey?

After May 2007... what now?

Clearly the elections of May 2007 is all about the opposition. The 7-3-2 victory (7 to GO, 3 to TU and 2 Independents) is really the mid-term vote of the populace to the GMA Administration. The message to the Senate has been defined with no ifs and buts. The fact that Congressman-elect and candidate for Speaker Jose de Venecia is still consolidating a few days before the SONA on 23 July is also a telltale sign of the kind of support the GMA Administration will be getting from the House of Representatives as it prepares for its sunset ride to 2010.

As Cebu played an important role in 2004, so it is today. In the fight for the Speakership, a gentleman from Cebu is trying to prevent a speakership for the 5th term for Sunshine Joe. Congressman Pabling Garcia, a noted lawyer and expert on legislative rules and motions, is using parliamentary maneuverings to get an interim set of rules approved for the selection of the Speakership. Issues have been raised by their proxies in the run up to Monday, 23 July.

The Senate is also breaking apart. From a supposedly strong opposition after May 2007, the Villar Group, initially eased out by other presidentiables in the opposition wagon, gained strength by the support of the allies of the administration. Villar just needed 4 "oppositionists" to secure the Senate Presidency. These are ESCUDERO, CAYETANO, PANGILINAN, and ESTRADA. Despite presidentiables LEGARDA, ROXAS and LACSON (LEROLAC) all on one side, it showed that the Villar Group was quite skillful in backroom operations because after the much publicized secret balloting at Manila Golf among the so-called members of the LEROLAC Group, the same was left holding an empty bag, with their candidate, former Senate President Nene Pimentel saying he is not interested al all since his name was merely floated by the opposition. Worst, there was no quorum to hold a secret ballot.

The Genuine Opposition is set to have its convention on Thursday, 19 July. Lets see where the coalition will go in the everchanging political landscape of the country. As it tries to consolidate, the administration attempts to write one of the last three SONAs of Gloria. It has been said that it will be a joyride to First World. We have to watch and see for ourselves how the whole wrapping up of the Great Filipino Gift will happen.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is a joy to watch as it soundly faced the challenges of the times. Cheers to Chief Justice Puno! Guys and gals...there is HOPE!