EDITORIAL - Best option

The problem is not really President Arroyo making more frequent visits to Pampanga. Pampanga is her home province. So if she has been a very frequent visitor to Cebu, why begrudge her if she wants to spend some time with her cabalens.

The problem is that these increasingly frequent visits to Pampanga are being associated by an increasing number of people, many of whom are not necessarily her critics, with her alleged desire to make a bid for a congressional seat there.

Sliding down to congresswoman is not the problem itself. There have been a number of world leaders who have similarly continued to serve their respective countries in much lower capacities. Besides there is no law that says she cannot do so.

The problem really is about the perception that she wants to maintain whatever degree of power she can successfully acquire, by whatever means if we may add, in order to protect herself and her family from whatever post-presidential political scenario that may unfold.

Let it be said in all fairness that President Arroyo has never been found guilty of or successfully proven to have committed any and all of the alleged acts of corruption heaped upon her by her political enemies.

But in a society whose democratic pretensions are far stronger when spoken than done, perception carries more weight than judicial fiat, hence the notion that she needs to protect herself from the accounting that a nation already convinced of her guilt must surely demand.

On the other hand, Arroyo herself is helping fan the flames of perception, whether precise or totally misinformed, by her own actions that leave little other interpretation. But then again, what can anyone with such a low credibility rating do that will change anything.

Perhaps the best thing for her to do under the circumstances is simply to strike a deal that will see her completely out of power but at the same time sufficiently guaranteed full insulation from either prosecution or persecution, as the case may be.

That is the easiest way out, especially since whoever takes over power will be rendered extremely busy doing whatever it is that makes the presidency extremely inviting. Her old enemies, for sure, will be gnashing their teeth. But it is that, or they too lose everything.