Too late the hero

The war movie which was filmed on location near Subic Bay is an apt title for the recent defection of Vice-President Teofisto Guingona to the FPJ camp. In a way politics is war so there is generally no sympathy for those who switch camps in time of battle. Like others who have made their comments on the vice-president’s betrayal (there is no other word), I am disappointed because Mr. Guingona obviously did not understand the symbolism inspired by his appointment as vice president. I was among the many writers who supported his appointment because I thought it would advance reform and help cultivate new politics.

Other candidates for the post were formidable men. Sen. Franklin Drilon was said to have the backing of former President Cory and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel was a star in the impeachment trial for his dramatic I resign action. There was intense lobbying for the the three men. Guingona won because Pres. Fidel Ramos and Speaker Jose de Venecia were persuaded he was the right vice-president because of his party affiliation. I wrote a column in support of that view. If it was to the future that Guingona supporters looked by strengthening political parties as a cornerstone of new politics, the Lakas-CMD party should appoint a Lakas party member. Inquirer columnist Belle Cunanan burned the wires to make sure that he would be vice-president, not Drilon nor Pimentel. To most TV watchers they remember Guingona’s role in Erap’s impeachment was to stare back at Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile and say, "I am looking at you".

There were other meetings with the vice president and we sympathized with him when he complained he was being bypassed by President GMA on the procedures for the Balikatan exercises. I hought he was right for wanting to be consulted or at least informed about the framework of the exercises as the secretary of foreign affairs. Other party members mediated to find a compromise between the two officials of the Lakas-CMD. Speaker Jose de Venecia gave way to him to be president of the party in deference to his high position. So it is not quite true that Guingona is vice-president by an act of congress. That was merely procedural. It was a party act. Those who had worked for him to get the coveted post of the vice-presidency hoped he would be the example for party members. Despite disagreements with the President, there were other party causes that he could have embraced, one of them constitutional reform.

My husband and I paid a special visit to seek his endorsement but only got a terse reply that ‘this could make Danding Cojuangco prime minister.’ So what is he doing now with a candidate said to be the political protege of the man he does not wish to be prime minister? We were confident that Guingona, regarded a gentleman of the old school’ and a principled politician would act consistently with new politics. He was not opportunist. Or so we thought. It now seems a false verdict. To be an (not even the) adviser of FPJ presented an opportunity and he took it regardless of that image. But opportunity for what? What does he hope to achieve in working with the FPJ camp?

Not much, if we are to go by what Calixto Chikiamko said in a speech before Citibank Investors Group. If Guingona professes to be the champion of nationalists and therefore against globalization he may be with odd company. Unless he is not concerned with other FPJ supporters and what they stand for, he should begin analysing what these pro-FPJ economists are saying. Chikiamko is angry President GMA passed Executive Order 41 which increased tariffs on selected industries. "It reverses years of government policy on trade liberalization and deregulation and violates sound principles of economics," says Chikiamco. You’d think that anti-globalists and anti-liberalists would cheer such a policy. Ironically, Guingona would be more comfortable with GMA’s tariffs aimed to protect local business without giving up completely on liberalization. This is done by all countries in the globalist framework – whenever they can get away with it they negotiate for higher tariffs as a safety cushion for local businesses. To Chikiamco and the rest of the FPJ economic team that is bad. He then says the movie actor will be better for business because he also had a business. FPJ should not be blamed for the downfall of the peso because GMA is still in power. This despite statements already made by businessmen that the peso is being driven down by the fear of an FPJ presidency.

Surprisingly, this economic faction of the FPJ group do not agree with others on the very reason why FPJ’s bulwark are the ignorant among the masses. (Please not all the masses are ignorant.) Again this group preempts the facts by saying FPJ was unlike his friend and fellow actor, Erap because "he doesn’t believe in class politics or pitting the poor against the rich." The inference then is that because he is not into class politics, he is a candidate of businessmen. "This is why he eschews former President Estrada’s slogan of "Erap para sa mahirap" or "Erap for the poor" because he says that’s divisive." Chikiamco added to reassure the businessmen. By a strange performance of verbal acrobatics, he claims FPJ is better than all the other candidates because he has never been a politician or run for public office. Sorry but nothing could be more false. It is like saying he will be the better plumber because he has never been a plumber before. Good grief. But there you are. I am not sure that FPJ will be well served by such advisers if they go by such standards. But they claim without batting an eyelash that the movie actor with no political experience will be able to fix the economy, address the fiscal deficity and looming energy crisis because of his support from the masses. This plot must come from an FPJ film.

Joel Rocamora’s stand on FPJ is the surprise. I thought he would be in the FPJ camp as most of his Marxist colleagues. But his article "The FPJ Bomb in a Populist Lamp," which was in the internet was a surprise.We met in some constitutional reform meetings and stood on opposite sides between convention or constituent assembly. But I did not expect him to make such a strong stand against FPJ. Rocamora predicts disaster if FPJ wins. It is equivalent to rehabilitating the Marcos-Erap forces. He says FPJ has to be "defeated" before the May elections. "Disaster can be averted only if enough of the forces for political and economic reform – if those who mobilized for EDSA 1 and EDSA 2 understand what is happening and mobilize to prevent an FPJ victory. It is what FPJ represents as a candidate that has to be exposed. To do that we have to begin with Da King, with the cinematic myth which is FPJ’s main vehicle to the presidency. A President FPJ will push our crumbling political system over the brink."

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E-mail: cpedrosa@edsamail. com.ph