Termites and demolition derbies

I hate termites.

They belong in the “Why did God have to create them?” category. Termites fall in the same group as mosquitoes, cockroaches, head lice and ticks (not to mention allergies) I know that God in his infinite wisdom and logic had a purpose for making them. Unfortunately I will have to qualify for heaven before I may even get a chance to ask the Almighty.

In the mean time I’m stuck here with my laptop reflecting on the concept and behavior of termites and their like. They’re quiet, efficient, effective and undoubtedly destructive. As a rule, they are insects and multi-legged but I have recently been reminded and   with the two-legged variety endemic to the Philippines.

What you may not realize is that there has long been a two-legged type of termite that is equally effective as true termites. They have recently been exposed doing damage to the Philippines by doing damage to each other. Ordinary Filipinos have not noticed much of their activities but we will probably find out before the end of the year which termite colony eats its way into domination.

If you’re wondering why I’m talking like an Animal Planet Presentor, it’s because I recently found out that a number of Presidentiables as well as legislators have been working like termites in order to demolish other presidentiables as well as trying to take control of the Philippine Senate.

Despite the seemingly calm atmosphere within the Senate walls, I am told that the “opposition” bloc is once again consolidating its group as well as resources in order to regain control of the Senate. The objective is to get the Senate Presidency and majority control, which would then be a major boost for any Presidential aspirant.

However since there is more than one Presidentiable within the opposition, their respective wrecking crews are also busy trying to undermine or wreck fellow presidentiables in the opposition. In short they are having an in-house demolition derby.

 As Manny Villar pulls away in the rating, one group questions the independence of the surveys. While Roxas hammers away at the Mar Roxas for President value of MRP or Maximum Retail Price, another set of termites within the opposition is feeding the media with more info that would discredit Mar’s advocacy and competence in tax issues.

Since it’s a democracy, the other termite colony has reportedly instigated a “disruption project” among the Philippine Red Cross Chapters so that Presidential aspirant Senator Dick Gordon would be too preoccupied putting out fires at the Red Cross and won’t be able to take off with his new political party as well as his presidential bid.

Vice President Noli de Castro will soon be swamped by a barrage of attacks from other termites concerning his expenditures for advertising, the failure of the housing program and billions of unpaid mortgages by millions of Pag-IBIG housing loan borrowers.

Senator Chiz Escudero has managed to duck from the suspicion that he might be one of the young presidentiables who has been wooing GMA support through the back door. But I also learned of a serious effort at data gathering in order to compile and write articles or feed articles to the media designed to attack Businessman Danding Cojuangco as the Pacman who would benefit if Chiz actually becomes President.

The idea apparently is to scare away Cojuangco from giving the financial support or political endorsement to Chiz Escudero. I guess the Termites won’t be happy at biting each other. They will soon be attacking supporters and financiers as well.

It is apparent that the two dominant breeds are the opposition variety and the Pasig clan. Within the opposition variety they are now practicing cannibalism inside and disruptive feeding outside. All this is just at the beginning stage and based on the experts’ opinions, many will fall and many will run because unlike past battles, the protagonists are desperate, determined and destructive.

We should really encourage them to carry on. Hopefully they’ll exterminate themselves.

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A number of feedbacks have been streaming in regarding the advertisements and spin being made by several Presidentiables, all of them bad.

Viewers and listeners have expressed anger that the general tone of the ads treat Filipinos as politically naïve and gullible.

The second most expressed sentiment is the gall and hypocrisy of candidates pretending to be or capitalizing on their early poverty. While one or two may truly have come from such beginnings, some candidate has made poverty fashionable for political ends. This is nothing less than bad taste for viewers.

One matter for serious consideration is for candidates to move on to real programs and doable plans for the nation. People have started to take notice that the second most fashionable tactic of Presidentiables is to use Gloria Arroyo for target practice so they can collect plus points from the disgruntled public.

People are not so simple and naïve after all.