GMA should break her silence

Blurb: 'Keeping silent will not save her. The Filipinos are not as stupid as those who advised her to keep silent.'

Jonathan and his family of five are renting a house in Fortuna Street. A woman and her two burly sons came along one afternoon, claiming to be the owner of the house, ejecting him forcefully, throwing his stuff into the street. The arrival of PO2 Ariston Bataluna of Mandaue Police Station saved the day for Jonathan. The policeman explained to the woman and her sons that she has to get a court order to eject a tenant. Bataluna used his knowledge of the law and his kindly compassionate manner, diplomatic skill, to pacify the group.

We need more policemen like PO2 Ariston Bataluna of Mandaue.

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The very rich socialite-business-woman Martha Stewart, 63, was released from prison and left the big house in Alderson, WVA, for her big 153 acre estate and stately manse in Bedford, NY, after serving five months for lying to federal investigators. She will now serve five months of house arrest, during which time she will be allowed to leave home only 48 hours a week.

If we could only implement our laws on perjury, at the rate our officials are lying, our jails would be full.

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All opinion writers are one in advising PGMA to break her silence regarding the "Hello Garci" tapes. The venerable Neal H. Cruz of the administration-friendly Inquirer writes: "Keeping silent will not save her. The Filipinos are not as stupid as those who advised her to keep silent. Giving ridiculous excuses will only make her sound pathetic. And guilty. Silence is interpreted as an admission of guilt."

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The insightful Conrado de Quiros also of Inquirer has this to say: "Rep. Pichay says talking to a Comelec official making sure it is doing its job makes her guilty only of impropriety. Winnie Monsod says the tapes do not show a clear pact to cheat, which makes her guilty only of impropriety." So GMA only gets a slap on the wrist by admitting the truth.

De Quiros then calls the smoldering villages across Europe one that should make Attila the Hun guilty of naughtiness.

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The venerable and intellectual former Senate President Jovito Salonga offers GMA the best advise: "Should the need arise, she should choose her soul by relinquishing the presidency rather than continue holding on to power by staying in Malacañang. Even if she loses the presidency because she told the truth, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?

"Telling the truth will be a redemptive quality for Mrs. Arroyo, whose credibility has suffered greatly. If she keeps quiet, people will believe she indeed instructed Garcillano to cheat."