Weak knees

The metaphor is so apt. Once again Filipinos are being misled by their leaders by focusing the debate on Erap’s weak knees. Yet it can be said it is not Erap who needs to be treated urgently for his ‘weak knees’, but the senators and congressmen petitioning for his escape abroad, for their weak knees. And this condition was best stated by surprise, surprise – Butz Aquino – the once admired younger brother of the martyred hero, Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino who was among the leaders of EDSA 1. Worse, he wants us to believe that by sending Erap abroad to be treated for his weak knees, we will be doing President Gloria Macapagal—Arroyo a favor. Why? Since when has good government been about giving favors to officials. I had thought all along that the job of government officials was to make laws and see to it that these laws are followed, apart from other things, so the country is run well for the majority of the people. But going back to weak knees. Please naman, if senators and congressmen are too weak-kneed to respect the rule of law, please do not drag us into your act.

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But if these senators and congressmen must insist on sending Erap abroad for treatment of his weak knees before his cases in the Sandiganbayan are resolved, Filipinos might find consolation on one condition: That the senators and congressmen petitioning for him to go abroad be also sent packing with him, not just for a long time but for good. Then they will not only be doing GMA a favor, they will be doing the country a favor. The trouble is that the lawmakers do not recognize the disease of weak knees and think that only Erap, not them, is afflicted with it. Ay, naku..

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But to pursue this line of reasoning. If we were to list the names of the congressmen and senators supporting the resolution for Erap’s escape (let us not fudge the issue) we will, alas, also discover that they were duly elected and put in this powerful position to decide whether there should be or should not be a rule of law in this country by the people themselves. A number may protest and say ‘we did not elect for them, it is the masa that did." Is that so? I will only get into an even deeper abyss if I bring in the role of educated Filipinos turned funny guys who supported Erap on the back of the masa. For the moment suffice it to say that I will admit it is the electorate that is responsible for the kind of men and women who people our halls of Congress. But in a sense we are all the electorate and therefore we must accept at least part of the blame for putting men and women with weak knees as leaders of our country.

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So by electing the weak-kneed, in effect, we are also weak-kneed. At the time of writing this column I do not have the names of the 136 members of the House and 19 senators who have signed the petition but I would commend the public to list them down and keep on file for future reference as in elections. Number one on the list as is to be expected is Rep. Didagen Dilangalen (NPC, Maguindanao) who will be remembered, by television viewers at the time of the impeachment proceedings as the flailing, jumping, shouting passionate Erap defender in Congress. Butz Aquino may be more suave in his defense of his former classmate at the Ateneo but he, too, should occupy top of the heap in this roster of weak knees. I suppose the whole idea behind this latest stampeding endorsement for the fallen ex-president Erap is to create a critical mass of support from members of Congress that would discourage ordinary Filipinos from mounting their own protests.

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Happily voices have been raised in protest and these should be recognized. I am glad that Speaker Jose de Venecia has refused to sign. Kudos also to Bayan Muna party list Representatives Satur Ocampo, Crispin Beltran and Liza Maza for filing a counter—resolution ‘in the interest of justice and the expeditious resolution of the plunder case against Erap.’ Ditto for former Cebu Gov. Emilio "Lito" Osmeña of Promdi, Education Secretary Raul Roco of Aksyon Demokratiko and former Defense Secretary Rene de Villa of Reporma who said sending Erap abroad to receive medical services available in the Philippines betrays the rule of law and weakens the constitutional foundations of the Republic. Praise also for other strong kneed like Former Senate President Jovito Salonga although he is no longer in office, but for admonishing the weak-kneed that we cannot accommodate accused criminals like Erap to leave for abroad without destroying our system of justice beyond repair. Akbayan party-list Rep. Etta Rosales and Cibac party-list Rep. Jose Villanueva. If there is anyone this column neglected to mention, please let me know. If we must criticize, we must also be able to praise and give credit where credit is due to strengthen the cause of good governance.

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I know that as I write this piece a group of housewives and ordinary Filipinos are on their way to the old Imelda-styled Film Festival building near the Senate to march against the Congress-sponsored resolution. The group led by Elisa Salapantan, formerly of PCA and others will be carrying Filipino flags to their protest. Indeed, they are appealing to the public at large to fly the flag in their homes and offices as a symbol of their solidarity with the campaign for good governance. They claim not to have any ulterior political agenda and membership has so far been among ordinary people which is good.

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The rule of law remains a principal plank of our efforts to reform governance in our country. We must face whatever difficulty such a struggle entails including destabilization efforts and threats from those who would block it. Without reverence for the rule of law we are doomed to anarchy. Politicians who have signed the resolution without regard for its consequences to the well-being of the body politic cannot be relied upon for this task. Bipartisan support in Congress cannot justify the attempt to waylay the legal proceedings against Erap. Neither is it surprising that this move in Congress is taking place while "peace and order" in the country deteriorates with the spate of kidnapping and general crime on the rise. So much for Butz Aquino’s classic "thorn on the side" relief for President GMA. You can almost believe him if you were politically naïve.

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A more honest and mature approach to the question of whether or not Erap should be kept here at home and prosecuted under the law is that it go partisan. Then the lines would be clearly drawn on what the major parties stand for. The Centrist Democrats under the leadership of President Macapagal-Arroyo ought to fly the banner of the rule of law as its party platform. The Opposition Party, (I am afraid I do not know what it stands for other than trying to revive the political fortunes of Erap & Co while blocking the Arroyo government at every turn ) should put its money where its heart is – to allow Erap to escape the rule of law. The Centrist Democrats should once and for all put its party machinery to resist this nonsense and use its powers of persuasion for other, more laudable projects for nation-building not the soul-destroying of the nation. Bipartisan or coalition government can be used for the good of the country but it does not include giving unwarranted privilege to a disgraced president.

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