What now, Butz, Titoy? He says he won’t reform - GOTCHA by Jarius Bondoc

Butz Aquino is there to remind the innocent and the forgetful that even the devil can quote Scripture.

God gave us Joseph Estrada, Butz closes his eyes and intones, so that we may see the evil in all of us. The prayerful and perceptive among us have always thought so, hallelujah. For years we’ve seen immorality and criminality reign. We pondered how everything we were taught to be wrong is now the norm. That’s why we began and continue to seek change, not only in ourselves but also in society, so that we may all be saved. Then came Erap, as Butz points out, to make us see the urgent need to repent and rectify.

Is that what Ninoy Aquino’s kid brother Butz sees, too? Peering through one eye and noticing us bow our heads to contemplate his words, he booms on: "Erap is only a mirror of the Filipino people. If we condemn him, we condemn ourselves. A move for his ouster should be aimed not merely at the physical man, but should be directed beyond him or his office into the rejection of all that is evil in us that is so exemplified in him and in his actuations; to ask for his resignation is to declare war against all that he represents in us."

Butz sees the light, it would seem. He sounds repentant as an old pol for letting corrupt politics and oppressive economics give rise to Erap and his cronies. He seems ready to rectify, and join the clamor for reform. That clamor, discussed in meetings and demonstrated in the streets, is not just about Erap. While it seeks the ouster of a man who makes gambling and womanizing, thievery and ostentation the norm of public life, it proceeds beyond him. That’s why people are vowing, "Never again." They know that the moment the man goes, the tougher task would have just begun to build a new system of moral governance and society. Everyone, everything will have to reform. So it’s heartening for them to know that Butz is with them.

But is he? Just as we’re about to be taken in, he bares his design: "If there ever was a man who could, by the example of his own life, lead this nation into a turnaround from its attitude and acceptance of evil, it is Erap. Come back from out of the streets and let us pray to the Holy Spirit of God for Erap."

So, that’s it. Butz isn’t really with the clamor for change. He wants to stifle it, slyly, deceptively, by fooling the pious to just pray some more and not march in protest. That’s exactly the line of Erap when he beseeches his bused thousands to ignore the serial crimes for which he’s charged. That’s the line of Nene Pimentel when he hoots at marchers to go home and let the senator-judges of the impeachment trial do their thing. That’s the line of Andrew Gonzalez when he bans teachers not only from taking students to rallies but also from discussing current events in classrooms.

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And for what end? Obviously, to get pressure off senators so they can work on Miriam Santiago’s ploy for acquittal. To keep themselves in power. To go on with a system of spoils and exploitation by pulling people away from participatory democracy.

Most of all, to let Erap continue being what he was in the past two years: an empty promiser of being for the poor, a giver of favors to friends and relatives, a collector of mistresses and mansions.

At the same time that Butz was "praying" in Congress, Erap was in fact bragging of sure acquittal from charges of bribery, graft, violating the Constitution, and betraying public trust. And since he’ll get off the hook, he sneers that he doesn’t have to change his leadership style, he won’t change his lifestyle.

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So what does that make of Ronaldo Zamora, Jose Pardo, Edgardo Angara, Horacio Morales, Norberto Romualdez, Mike Velarde?

Butz must have heard the doers in the Cabinet talk about Erap’s supposed transformation. Close to tears one stormy night early in November, the man reportedly had promised them to change his ways. He even offered to put it in writing, and told them to go forth and draft the reforms that they thought he should’ve done long ago. That’s how they were convinced to stay on instead of joining the flurry of resignations. That’s why Nikki Coseteng, Robert Jaworski and Ramon Revilla rejoined the fold two days after defecting.

Erap declares now that he has changed his mind about changing. Is that why he never really took back his executive order that would make monopolies of seaports? Is that why he gave away land rights to squatters, only to take these back after the awarding rites? Is that why he received Holy Communion as a Catholic, then proceeded to lambaste Catholic bishops for voicing their views about his immorality?

What will the few remaining reformers in the Cabinet do now – convince themselves that maybe, just maybe, Erap tomorrow will wake up on the right side of the bed and talk anew about changing himself?

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The prayerful and perceptive among us know that Erap is beyond reform as President. Yet they are themselves ready to change for the better. And they realize that they also must change the system for the good of all.

They want a return to basics: to do good, help the poor, protect the planet. They wish to pare officials of illusory appurtenances acquired through the years, and bring them back to honest, transparent, accountable governance. They yearn for an economic system that allows equal chances to compete and not the cornering of wealth by the cabal of who’s in power.

They know it can be done. They see it being done in other countries, where their own relatives have journeyed to work and pursue happiness. That’s why, so help them God, they know the fight is beyond, but must begin with, Erap.

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INTERACTION. Rita Gonzalez, edsamail: I had the same observations as you when Pimentel was elected Senate President (Gotcha, 6 Dec. 2000). And when I saw on TV his speech at Cagayan de Oro, I too asked myself, "What’s Nene up to?" Is he conditioning our minds for Erap’s acquittal?

Philip Eano, nol.ph: Suspicion is growing stronger that Pimentel is a Trojan Horse. Like Erap and the Cabinet, he says street marches should stop. Why? So that senators will be under no pressure to vote from conscience? Meanwhile, he keeps tooting his horn about his supposed independence.

Nelson Loterinia, Baesa, Quezon City: In last week’s episode of Probe Team, Miriam Santiago was clear why she wants Erap acquitted. Asked if she’d run for reelection in 2001, she said she has no such plan and is "just waiting for the President to appoint me to the UN."

Ruben V. Ramos, mojilgrp.com: The people must be told how much money Erap spent for the hour-long docu, Halal ng Masa. It’s our money.

Jose Marino Labrador, edsamail.com: Fr. Robert Reyes was right all the while. There is something material between Erap and Mike Velarde, about 1.22-billion something (Gotcha, 4 Dec, 2000).

Ernie Roque, hotmail.com: JV Ejercito’s comment about the People Power lunch and his threat to get back at his father’s critics reminds me so much of Erap’s mouth. Namamana pala ang ugaling sanggano.

Alexy Reyes, hotmail.com: Why are they telling us to stop our rallies? Security Adviser Aguirre himself says rallies are proofs of democracy.

Thank you, Jose Reyes, Dennis Borja, Dennis Borja, Banzel Leano, Marcelino Family, L.C. Eballe, Mandy Aranas, Angel Balauitan, Bernie Cruz Mendoza, Vivian Tayag, Ben Bie, Gerry Javellana, Joel Madredia Ko, Lino C. Eballe, Dr. Eddie del Rosario.

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A ranking PNP general walked into the Longo Toyota Dealer in El Monte, California, last Sunday, Dec. 3, and bought three new Sequoia SUVs for $30,000 each – cash. He made arrangements for quick delivery to RP.

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YOUR COMPUTER. Two new viruses have invaded the Net. Wobbler strikes as e-mail titled "California" or "Win a Holiday." It’s more powerful than Melissa, has no known remedy. Once opened, it eats info on hard drives, and zaps Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Explorer.

The other is a new version of Love virus and comes as e-mail with the subject, "US President and FBI secrets, visit www.2600.com." Body text reads: "Very joke! See President and FBI top secret pictures." The Explorer will automatically become member.fortunecity.com. If infected, don’t open any VBS extension. Visit www.symantec.com/avcenter for cures.

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