Optimism - SKETCHES by Ana Marie Pamintuan

Miracles do happen in this country. Just last month I was convinced that the impeachment initiative in the House of Representatives was a quixotic quest, a shot at the moon. Not only did President Erap have the overwhelming numbers, but his House allies such as Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen were prepared to be run over by a tank before they would allow the President’s impeachment.

Yesterday events unfolded so quickly at the House Dilangalen didn’t have time to even catch his breath. The attempt to kill the impeachment ended with Manuel Villar’s banging of the gavel. With 115 congressmen signing the impeachment complaint, the case was tossed to the Senate for trial.

Expect a major brawl at the Senate, where the forces of Erap could still triumph. For all the noble ideals he enunciated yesterday, I have my reservations about newly installed Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. He did give us the riveting hearings on the jueteng scandal, but I’m not expecting a miracle at the Senate.

Still, I’ll allow some optimism to creep in for now. Why, even the noisy squabble over the House leadership last night (with a perfunctory attempt to hide the House mace) gave us comic relief.

* * *

Even that mammoth crowd in Rizal Park for the President last Saturday can’t dampen my optimism. Everyone expected that crowd, anyway – there’s a huge El Shaddai crowd in the park every Saturday. And as I’ve always conceded, this President is immensely popular – he had genuine, unpaid supporters in that rally. He could’ve used his popularity to do immense good for the country.

I’m not worried even about "hakot" crowds, about government employees being "requested… for compliance" to attend pro-Estrada rallies. At P300 up to P6,000 per person for every rally, the "hakot" program could lead to a more equitable distribution of wealth. Maybe the International Monetary Fund can take another look at the government’s growing budget deficit.

Such rallies won’t stop the calls for the President’s exit. Even Filipinos in New York have formed the Estrada RESIGN! Movement, according to our Lifestyle columnist Danton Remoto.

* * *

What should worry us are surveys showing that many Filipinos aren’t sure who’s telling the truth in the jueteng scandal. Worse, too many Filipinos don’t even know what the scandal is all about. I think these people don’t even care to know about it. If these people read newspapers, it’s to look at the bold centerfolds or look for jobs. They watch TV for the soap operas and game shows. And they listen to the radio for more soaps, music and show biz gossip.

Many of these people don’t care to know where taxes go, since they don’t pay taxes. So what if public funds go to mansions and mistresses? If incumbent officials are stealing from public coffers, why, everyone before them from the time of the Spanish colonizers had looted national coffers blind anyway.

When you live a hand-to-mouth existence, you consider those who are better off as creatures from another planet. Even if such aliens kill each other off, you’ll still live a hand-to-mouth existence. Your only concern is relief from poverty. Without such relief, you’ll settle for some distraction: gambling, entertainment, a charismatic group.

* * *

What should worry us is public apathy. There are many among us who have lost faith in our institutions. For these people, the jueteng scandal is just politics as usual. It all boils down to who’s the most rotten: President Erap, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson or the political opposition.

Even if the President wins hands down, what are we going to do about it? Our anti-graft program is a joke. Has anyone ever been punished in this country for large-scale corruption and betrayal of public trust? Just consider where the Marcoses and their cronies are. We keep repeating our nation’s mistakes, probably because many of us flunked our history lessons.

The law? It’s a refuge of scoundrels. Justice and TROs are for sale.

Even the Catholic Church needs to do some soul-searching. It summons its flock to a rally at EDSA; instead the multitudes go to Luneta. Does the fate of 75 million Filipinos lie in the hands of Brother Mike and Ka Erdie?

Still, Filipinos occasionally manage to do something that amazes themselves, if not the world. And miracles happen in this country.