A scripted presidency?

A scripted Presidency?

Now, at last, former president Ramos has informed everyone about the real agenda of the CHACHA to be conducted by the CON-ASS. GMA can be nominated as Prime Minister. Whether you agree or not, this is now one of the scripts being followed by GMA as one exit option for her.

With a partisan Con-Ass used to so much pork barrel and perks from administration, it will not be difficult for this script to be acted out by our present politicians. You want her out as President, okay, she will exit only to return as Prime Minister! That is the Ramos script.

Proof and part of this script was bringing to Congress, especially to its gallery, a partisan crowd of applauding politicians, GMA's "hakot" crowd, according to skeptics and the opposition. One, if not the most applauded portion of her very short scripted speech, was her proclaiming the start of the great debate on ChaCha.

Again, another script related to this ChaCha plot is one that involves the image of GMA. Colors and demeanor are part of this script of showing her as a very strong leader. Dress her up in blue, that can bring home the cue of strength and firmness. Speak and act using decisive gestures. Soften her regular frowning look with lace, soft make-up on her face, highlight the softness and tenderness, or the underdog, kawawa look with colorful flowers in the background. Filipinos will definitely feel for and side with the underdog without fail, the writer and director of this script believe.

Remember how she was embraced by the rainbow of flowers behind her during her "scripted" press conference? No wonder she appeared so calm and relaxed during the 10-minute meeting with the press. Only the pre-screened questions of the friendly press partners were entertained. The foreign press was even asked to leave, perhaps because Malacañang feared the spontaneity of the foreign press or was it that GMA and her men feared the foreign press would tell the rest of the world about their "scripted" presscon?"

Are we reading too much or beyond what appears here? Are we picturing GMA as a calculating propagandist or as a very effective image-maker? No, certainly not. The idea of her scripted moves and image did not originate from us.

Remember her Luneta paseo with her granddaughter and her remaining family members? I thought it was a natural practice for families to be among themselves on a Sunday, especially after mass. However, I was aghast to see on TV that as GMA was walking at Manila's boardwalk with her granddaughter and children, director Lupita Aquino Kashiwara was guiding them where to go, how to move, and possible when to smile or how to behave!!! Goodness, was that not a scripted image building PR or what?

Then, do you remember soon after the Hyatt 10 resignation, again, GMA with her remaining cabinet officials and loyal politicians, mostly, if not all in white, walked slowly for cameras to catch the obvious message of apparent unity and oneness of GMA's administration. In both the Luneta walk and in the Malacañang walk, the actors and actresses wore white, a sign of purity and cleanliness that this administration wants to project to all? Pray tell, were those white-garbed moments natural, spontaneous or scripted?

Another script is to appear strong and unafraid. Impeach me, GMA and her supporters challenge the opposition. Now that there is really a move to do so in Congress, her partisan allies are now using all means to avoid sending the impeachment charges to the less friendly Senate. If GMA is really so sure that she holds the truth, being God's anointed, then she should welcome the immediate start of impeachment proceedings in the Senate. She should order her allies in Congress to sign the petition to impeach her, not because they believe that she should be but because they believe otherwise, that she can only redeem herself most quickly through an impeachment. Why block the impeachment move then if she holds the truth? Impeachment can set her truth free, wasn't that her earlier challenge?

There is a script that some hope GMA will find the time to act out. It is one that sees her alone with her granddaughter who is now old enough to understand. In this script, GMA's apo asks her, "Lola, why were people asking you to resign?" What are they saying about this Garci tapes? Why did you apologize for a harmless call to a Comelec official and who was that official, Lola Glo?"

This will be one much-awaited script that will certainly hold everyone's attention. Susan Roces confessed that it was her apo who gave her the strength to come out of her silence and to fight for the truth for this nation. Dinky Juliano Soliman also confessed tearfully that it was her children's question about what then is truth that finally made her decide to pursue the path of truth for our country.

How will GMA tell the truth about her call to the Comelec official to her apo? The rest of the nation would like to see that script played out soon within this increasingly scripted presidency.