Are her problems history? Or is she?

I rarely ask an astrologer friend of mine what she sees in the flow of events. And that’s because I often find it difficult to read what she says she reads from the stars. Astrology, she often explains to me, is pretty much mathematical. And the heavens know how uncomfortable I am with mathematics.

But the events of the past weeks have been too difficult to read the normal way so I gathered enough nerve to ask my astrologer friend just one question: what happens now? I expected a mysteriously cryptic answer and I got it. I also got a brief explanation of the basis of her answer in terms of what star or planet is positioned in what zodiac sign, none of which I remember.

So I may have interpreted her interpretation wrong but the gist of it is that just because Ate Glo won the House vote does not mean she has really won. Apparently, the positions of the stars and the planets are somehow against her at this time. The country is in for tough and turbulent times ahead and an upheaval in our political system cannot be ruled out. The congressmen who made a lot of money selling their votes in the impeachment issue had better use their money to buy visas for their children.

Now that you are sufficiently scared, let me caution you again that I may have misinterpreted the interpretation my astrologer friend gave me. Her response to my question, was somewhat technical and partly mathematical (a lot of geometry) and that’s my weak point. I may be wrong but that’s what I remember from what I heard. Based on my experience, it is also not too useful to ask her to further explain what she just said. That would just add to my confusion.

But what makes my interpretation of my astrologer friend’s astrological reading very plausible is that it ties in with reality as read by opinion polls. I don’t have to be an astrologer to know it was extremely dangerous of Congress to stop an impeachment hearing that an overwhelming majority of the people (if I remember right, 80 percent in some surveys) wants to happen. The supposed representatives of the people have gone against the wishes of the people they represent. And that’s representative democracy?

By shooting the complaint down, as analyst Alejandro Lichauco observed, the House simply confirmed suspicions that this government is totally immune and callous to the people’s grievances and what GMA wants GMA will get. "And if that’s the way Malacañang is to be perceived from hereon, then it should expect nothing but big trouble – and that trouble is bound to get bigger by leaps and bounds as the domestic crisis intensifies, as it is bound to, because of the international oil situation."

That’s so true. I remember the Pulse Asia briefing last week pointed out that even if the oil price crisis is of an international nature, people say she is somehow responsible for it. And if people were saying that in July, when they haven’t seen nothing yet, imagine how they would feel after the EVAT on petroleum products and electricity takes effect.

All those photos showing Ate Glo in a relaxed mood lately may prove to be rather premature. People feel cheated with the trashing of the impeachment complaints. Even those who want to give her the benefit of the doubt are uneasy about her failure to prove her innocence in an open hearing. She got off through legal technicalities that may even prove to be a misinterpretation of the Constitution. And the use of sheer political muscle is making her look like a bully to an already skeptical public.

No… the case is far from closed. And the decision of the opposition not to bring to the Supreme Court the manner by which the House handled the impeachment complaints isn’t going to be good for us either. We need to get a definitive ruling on how the Lozano complaint was handled vis-a-vis the other complaints. It would be easy for the administration to find another one to file a weak complaint first as soon as the one year moratorium expires and that’s it. The view of Father Bernas, one of those who drafted the current Constitution, that the complaints can be consolidated, sounds more reasonable.

The handling of the impeachment complaints is a cause for political instability. That’s the problem we all face. With the political question hanging, we will at best just muddle through. Not much, if any, significant long term investment, local or foreign, can be expected. Without the jobs that such investments can create here, our dependence on OFW earnings will deepen, making us extremely vulnerable to the blips of foreign economies.

And with the political battle lines sharply drawn, no hope of unity can be realistically expected any time soon. Her ability to govern, already weakened by her politicking to win the congressional vote, is further compromised by the stalemate. Again, I don’t have to be an astrologer to tell you that.

What should happen next? When both the Japanese and German prime ministers felt they needed more obvious proof of support from the people for more effective governance, they placed their unexpired terms at risk and called for a snap election. Of course their governments are parliamentary in nature but that doesn’t mean such an approach isn’t possible here as well… to settle things once and for all, for the good of the people. In our system, a resignation is just as good to trigger this consultation with the people, who after all, are supposed to be sovereign.

Battle of widows

I got an e-mail from a reader who observed that our recent troubles have been battles between widows. There was Tita Cory versus Imelda. Now it is Tita Cory and Susan Roces, both widows versus Ate Glo, who probably thinks she wouldn’t be in this much trouble if she were a widow.

No car plates

A friend complained to me that he can’t use his new car because his dealer was unable to get him his car plates, over a week after the car has been delivered and the registration paid for. Because of the campaign launched by DILG Secretary Angie Reyes dubbed "No plate, No travel", new car buyers are unable to use their plateless cars.

The Alabang car dealer told my friend that someone in the LTO in Las Piñas would be able to get him "early release" of his plates for P2,500. No receipts, of course.

The campaign of Angie Reyes is fine. But perhaps he must coordinate with the LTO on the matter of releasing plates already paid for. This is too neat a racket to ignore: he orders cars without plates to be impounded but another government agency is unable to release plates unless a car owner forks over P2,500 for "early release". Government must not make a rule that makes petty corruption possible, punishing the citizen twice.

Angie and the PNP should extend the period new cars can be used without plates or work with the LTO to release plates early without the "surcharge". In the meantime, the campaign should go on and stop all those cars with PNP-TMG and other commemorative plates from being exempted from the drive. I still see a lot of those around.

Text jokes

Pete Lacaba has compiled some text jokes. Here’s one.

Ate Glo has changed her name to Ate Glue.

Here’s another.

Interviewer: "Mrs Arroyo, you’re deeply unpopular. You divide d nation. Don’t you think its time you give a farewell speech 2d Filipino people?"

GMA: "Y? Wer r dey going?"

And another.

GMA went up d rooftop.

Guard: Madam GMA! Pls do not jump!

GMA: Wat r u blabbring abt?! Ds is where i get a strong signal. Hello, Hello, GARCI r u in London na?!

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is bchanco@gmail.com