Gloria in (not-so) Excelsis

There is someone very powerful in the House of Representatives-and she's not even Speaker.

 Remember the last year or so? Talk was rife that then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was going to run for Congress because she was planning to be Speaker of the House, en route to being Prime Minister, supposing efforts to amend the constitution bear fruit. When she finally filed her certificate of candidacy as district representative of Pampanga, everyone-analysts, critics, and the media-had a field day.

Now, Dr. Arroyo is neither president nor speaker. PGMA is now CGMA, together with first lady Imelda, boxing superstar Manny, Mrs. Goma Lucy, and hundreds of others. Did she really aspire to be speaker? Perhaps. Or was all that part of her grand master plan: To make everyone believe she wanted to be speaker? Plausible as well. I guess we will never know what her true intentions were. But one thing's sure, Gloria, reviled or respected, is one of the shrewdest political minds this country has ever had-and that trick up her sleeve is just begging for release.

If her end goal is to be prime minister, she wouldn't be able to achieve that as speaker now. She needs to build on her artillery, execute her strategies seamlessly, away from the spotlight that the speakership guarantees. As congresswoman, she can still push for her agenda, wreck havoc on P.Noy's plans as the prime oppositionist, whether on the floor or through clandestine backdoor meetings at the (wala'y) Batasan, and at the same time, she can, in patiently waiting long enough as an ordinary congresswoman, succeed in veering people's imaginations away from the 'Speaker Gloria- PM Gloria' scenario. And when the time is right, she'll pounce, like the deadly political animal she is.

Now all that is conjecture. She may very well be interested only in continuing to serve the constituents of Pampanga. But I hope my former boss understands why it isn't easy not to speculate about her.

Like Gloria or not, and setting aside all moral or ethical arguments people may raise against her and the way she did or does things, she will always be a very fascinating character to study. If Niccolo Machiavelli were alive today, he'd probably bow to her prowess and rewrite his book, pattern everything after the events of the last decade, and dedicate its title to her-The Queen, The President, or maybe The Gloria would replace The Prince as its new title.

When she grilled the DSWD's budget last week, in the classic Gloria flame and flavor, it reminded me that this lady has not and will never give up-that in the most tumultuous moments of her presidency, her strength (some call kapalmuks) and strategy saved her. Retribution towards Secretary Soliman, erstwhile friend of hers, is a tempting motive. I won't be surprised, too, if GMA is behind the oust-Deles moves in Congress, especially that it's initiated by a known ally, the Dimaporos.

But I don't think GMA will be driven by revenge, for now, at least. She is much too intelligent, tactical, calculating and scientific to be so. A results-based economist and politician, for her, everything has to be a means to an end. Every effort exerted has to contribute to the goal, not to waste it in mangling and demolishing an opponent for revenge's sake and its sake alone. She will have the time to do that when she's back on top. For now, she will not get sidetracked. It's a unique (read scheming?) take on a purpose-driven life.

For now, let's sit back and watch how this talented, lucky, cunning little lady will play her favorite game of politics now that the rules, and roles, have changed.

* * *

Tonight's The Bottomline with Boy Abunda: A two-part birthday episode, Boy himself answers the most personal and controversial questions from bottomliners and other important guests in a special revised format (some guest bottomliners include Ms. Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Mike Defensor, Bianca Gonzalez, Ai-A Delas Alas, Dr. Manny Calayan).

Watch the first part tonight after Banana Split on ABS-CBN. Replay telecast on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), Sunday, 1:30 pm.

* * *

Email: [email protected]