Is the ASO gang still running the FPJ camp? ‘Unity’ looks bleak, the Ping boys say

This is a great time for columnists, opinion writers, political pundits and putas (not to be confused with each other), poll survey groups, power brokers, deal-makers, KSPs (kulang sa pansin, now being given undue attention), and posturers.

But it is a situation which is bad for the nation.

Lying, blackmailing, extortion, bribery, dishing out of black propaganda, bad-mouthing and countless intrigues seem to have become the order of the day. The result of these evil doings is that cynicism, already chronic in our disappointed society, is being reinforced. All the worst things we observed or imagined about ourselves are being demonstrated.

Yet, we Filipinos cling to hope. It’s fortunate that we’ve just emerged from Holy Week and the Lenten Season, which served to remind us that out of the despair, suffering, agony, and "defeat" of Good Friday, our Mahal na Araw, came the victory of Easter and the Resurrection.

We pay mostly lip service, alas, to being the only Christian, in truth, Catholic nation in Asia. In fact, we’re even somewhat hangdog and apologetic about being surrounded by more populous, and devoted (for this, read: fanatical) Muslim nations like Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and yes, India.

As for next-door Kuala Lumpur, the Muslims run the store there, and, though far less populous, Malaysia is richer, more aggressive, and much-better-armed than we are. Our government may ululate all it wants about how Malaysia is "helping" us mediate with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the MNLF, and other Moro rebel groups, and about what Mr. Nice Guy, the new Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (who took over October last year), happens to be.

Nobody can say tidah to that. But even his predecessor, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, who stepped down after 22 years in power, was nice when he wasn’t bashing his former Number Two Anwar Saddat (who he? Malaysians don’t remember the poor sod locked away in jail for "sodomy" et al.) – or training Moro rebels, as he did on the old pre-honeymoon days, to sneak into Mindanao.

Let’s face it. For all their smiles, and hugs and fraternal kisses (specially for FVR), the Malaysians will never be our friends as long as there’s a possibility that we might make a grab to "recover" Sabah (the former British North Borneo leased from the Sultan of Jolo).

Sabah is bigger and wealthier than Mindanao, and has got more oil than we do, even with Malampaya Sound slowly coming on-stream.

In fact, the Malaysians tried to kick out all the "Filipinos", even Moros, living and working in Sabah as a threat to their equanimity, until they belatedly discovered that nobody would be left running Sabah, from the beauty parlors in Kota Kinabalu to the schools and postal system. They’ll deny this, of course, but that’s the long and short of it.

We have no friends among our Muslim neighbors. Sus, sometimes one feels – sometimes? – neither among our Filipino Muslims, that a few of whom, thanks to Madrassah preaching, believe even the above-term is an oxymoron.

Pardon me for sounding like some TV preacher, with due apologies to brother Mike Velarde and, naturally, Bangon Presidential candidate Brother Eddie Villanueva, whose voice is heard on ZOE channel 11, but whose own voice-messages come from God. I have no such pious intentions, being more a sinner than a saint. Yet, I must say our bulwark is our faith. Just as, with five prayer-times a day mandated, faith is supposed to dominate the everyday lives of Muslim believers, we have to turn back to the Good News Testament, and the old Holy Bible. In those pages are encapsulated all the ills which afflict us today, as well as the promise of Redemption.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday (Black Friday, really) were a total rout for the Jesus Christ Party. He was the Perfect Man and the Son of God to boot, no TRAPO, yet one of his beloved apostles betrayed Him, while the rest of the eleven ran away, and denied Him. His most trusted follower, Simon – later renamed Peter – denied him three times before the cock crowed: "I don’t know the guy!"

Can’t we see these same things happening in our midst – except there is no Mr. Perfect in sight, even – in spades – any Mrs. Perfect? We spot all around us, mostly, perfect crimes. As for those being "resurrected" in this election? Sad to say, on all sides, many of them are the worst sort, who should have been retired with their ill-gotten wealth, or should never have been rescued from obscurity and retirement.

There’s very little difference between the Palestine of 2004 years ago and the Philippines 2004. Human nature remains human nature. If anybody called Jesus (not Jose) had appeared on the scene, he would have been betrayed and crucified again. Except that the price of betrayal has gone up.

* * *

Let’s remember, though, that the reason "Christianity" hasn’t succeeded here is that it’s not being practiced. (Here comes Simon-Peter’s successor, Pope John Paul II, preaching to us the same old sermon, through our new Ambassador to the Holy See, Mrs. Leonida Vera: Be good. Shun graft and corruption. Espouse a society of honest governance, etc., especially "as your country prepares for the coming elections." At least he didn’t endorse anybody.)

Yesterday, President GMA repeated the same tired mantra in response to a survey which showed a rise in crime, which the police (on cue) denied. She declared that the cause of crime is "poverty". No, Ma’am. Crime flourishes because it is not punished. Crime is the offshoot of dishonesty. Our poor people, even more than the rich, stay honest – until a few of them discover the joys of looting, robbing, kidnapping – as well as narcotics-pushing and jueteng.

We will lose if we only wage a war against poverty. The war we must wage is one against ignorance (my own mantra). We must educate the people – and begin with our children.

Last Tuesday, Ms. Sheila S. Coronel, Executive Director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) – who delivered a brilliant presentation – and this writer addressed the Breakfast Forum of the Employee Relations-Human Resource Management group at the Development Bank of the Philippines in Makati. The topic was "Halalan 2004 May Napipisil Ka Na Ba, Bayan?" (Have you made your choice, literally – where do they get such imaginative and somehow tongue-in-cheek titles?)

In any event, among the things I pointed out was that, if President GMA’s father, the late President Diosdado "God-given" Macapagal, had started stressing education, beginning with kindergarten or Casa pre-school when he was chief executive almost 40 years ago, we today would have a well-informed, educated, ready-to-vote citizenry of 40-year old people – not a nation of drop-outs, and unlettered masa. But this didn’t happen.

The Filipino doesn’t need doles from the government, he needs the tools with which he can help himself, and the inspiration to better himself (or herself, may the feminists forgive me for not being able to double-gender old English-speak). And the development of an in-bred desire to serve God, the neighborhood and the nation.

The chains of ignorance are what bind us. Jose Rizal – yes, Virginia, good Josés come from the Ateneo, too – spoke of this. As the Bible says, "the truth will set us free."

Only the truth, through a good education made available to all, will make us free – prosperous, productive, and safe and happy at last.

* * *

The prospect of any "unity" being forged between FPJ and Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson grows bleaker and bleaker by the day.

One of the main reasons is the fact, increasingly apparent, that many in their respective pangkat don’t want this to happen.

Ping Lacson’s boys tell me that a meeting had been scheduled for last Monday. Then a phone call came – direct to Lacson from an emissary – that FPJ’s schedule couldn’t permit a meeting that afternoon or evening. Is this true? So there.

The FPJ side’s subalterns, in turn, have been letting it be known that Lacson won’t "slide down", and that he had said this was not negotiable. Members of the media, of course, exacerbate matters by reporting "leaks", guided missives, and disruptive statements (real or manufactured) from both sides. Is there still hope of a face-to-face dialogue? Perhaps Monday? Perhaps Tuesday. We’ll know when it happens – if it happens.

GMA is obviously lapping it up, taunting the two to "unite". Don’t discount the possibility that the intriguers in both camps, or in the media, or among the kibitzers, belong to her, or to "Jose Pidal", and, don’t forget, The Firm.

One of the Hawi boys, for instance, is an Angara boy from ACCRA, a certified Sigma Rhoan, and, at 28, aspires to become the youngest Secretary of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), if FPJ – despite his efforts – comes into his Kingdom. Da King, alas, may be headed in the opposite direction, thanks to the Hawis, and their bosses. The ASO Gang – what did we say, Angara-Sotto-Oreta? – is alive and well, and operating fulltime.

The pity of it is that the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) and, indeed, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) are only "shell" organizations – the latter badly sapped of the strength it once had when it collided with the former President, Joseph Ejercito Estrada. FPJ’s nationwide network comprises the volunteers who originally propelled him into the race, and are the only apparatus he has to bring in the voters on election day. Presently, however, the volunteers feel themselves left "outside", while the ASOs and the concentric rings of the cordon sanitaire make the "decisions" and hug the limelight.

It turns out that even Senator Greg "Gringo" Honasan is out of the loop, handling only security (he’s almost never seen himself), and is supposed to become "operations chief" only on election day.

Is FPJ leading his "army", or is he being led? That’s the pregnant question which festers. Don’t believe for a moment, that clever GMA’s agents aren’t fanning the flames of demoralization and dissent.

Panday, it’s well known, is the only challenger capable of giving GMA a fight, and even of overpowering her increasingly well-oiled machine. But his strength is ebbing, and even his capacity to lead is beginning to be questioned by those who love him. Snap out of it, Ronnie, unless you want to be dethroned ignominously by those who profess to be your most loyal "knights".

Imagine Da King surrounded by gorilla King Kongs, beasts of the political jungle – and you can spot the dilemma. FPJ’s sincerity is never in doubt. It’s his ability which must be demonstrated along with his intestinal fortitude, and his charisma in real life, not the deceptive "reel life" of film.

As an experienced actor, why isn’t he acting the part of a slambang candidate many are asking, a righter of wrongs, a determined crusader wielding the Excalibur of Light?

"He’s not only acting according to a bad script, it seems that he’s without a script," a perceptive critic told this writer yesterday.

The word on the street remains the same: Unite or perish. But first, FPJ has to unite his own party.

As for Ping Lacson, I repeat, is it a choice between feng shui and chop suey? Ping is one of the smartest, and best-qualified in the race. However, it’s mystifying how he can hope to make it without a vice presidential team-mate, a Senatorial slate, a congressional line-up, a network of provincial and municipal candidates, and a bring-in-the-votes organization.

This we’ve got to see.