BY JOVE!

THE LUCKY BITCH, AGAIN?

(pardon the usage of the now famous Salceda “presidential term of endearment” for my blog entry’s title, linawin ko lang na, hiniram ko lang iyan, di iyan sa akin galing ha?)

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Our early evening newscast (Big News, 6:45-7:00pm M-F) just wrapped up when we received word that the CBCP released its statement about the on going political crisis.

Just minutes after that development, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye sent this statement to palace reporters:

“We welcome the statement of the CBCP which exhorts everyone to fight corruption and search for truth. The recommendations addressed to the executive, the legislature and the media certainly deserve very serious consideration. We thank the CBCP for not succumbing to the propaganda of rabid oppositionists who are bent on overturning the gains of our strong economy. The nation deserves a respite from frantic, irrational and dangerous calls for the President to resign, while the real truth has yet to be established by the court of law.”

I am ONCE AGAIN reminded of the events that happened in July 2005.

The nation was in a political crisis because of the Hello Garci controversy. That time, the people were also awaiting guidance from the CBCP, and the wait for the CBCP’s statement back then, was a big deal, as it was now.

We all know the contents of the pastoral letter that the CBCP released on that fateful Sunday (please visit my blog entry entitled, They Spoke on a Sunday

for more details). As I’ve reported back then, they told their followers that they can’t dip their holy fingers into a political issue— because the gospel clearly states: it shouldn’t be done. They explained: -they are bishops, not politicians, so they can’t intervene; they can only provide moral and religious guidance and that should just maintain a pastoral role.

What’s interesting is the fact that after the CBCP released their guidance in July 2005, all the anger and calls for the president to resign, sort of dwindled. There were massive rallies (like the one planned on Friday) mounted against PGMA that time, but we all have to admit that it felt like all the anger tapered off after that development. Of course the anger and the desire to get PGMA out of office never really went away since July 2005, but the administration treated the contents of that pastoral letter as a “lifesaver”.

Surprise, surprise, doesn’t Bunye’s statement after the release of the CBCP statement tonight, sound a like a long “sigh” of relief?

Based on what happened in the past, can we say that PGMA is now out of the woods?

Did she once again survive a crisis?

And if in fact she did weather the storm again, doesn’t Joey Salceda’s “luckiest bitch” remark become more relevant and true now than when he first said those words?

Tomorrow (Wednesday) PGMA will be in the province of House Speaker Prospero Nograles, will we see a very jubilant president going around government projects, in light of the developments here in Metro Manila?

Will we hear more from FG, Reps. Mikee Arroyo, Dato Arroyo and Iggy Arroyo? Will we see an on cam display of “taray” from the first daughter again?

Do we expect ES Ermita and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye (plus Dr. Golez and Lorelei Fajardo) to be very extra optimistic and extra jolly when they face the media tomorrow for the weekly presscon?

And, do we hear Secretary of the Cabinet Ric Saludo mouthing the words “I told you so” “iyan na nga sinasabi ko lagi”, when he uses the statement of the CBCP (specifically on the duty of media to be always fair) to his and the administration’s advantage? (Naku! Abangan ang predictable! –sabi nga ng isang reporter.)

Will history repeat itself, or will the Filipino people show us that everything can go the other way?

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(Earlier news, just before the CBCP development)

The beleaguered President, who is haunted by the ghosts of past people power revolts and the specter of a possible new uprising, wants to exorcise all the issues bothering her administration by introducing her latest creation: A NEW PEOPLE POWER.

In her opening statement during the cabinet meeting this morning…. she said:

“Dapat pagtulungan natin lahat, gobyerno, simbahan, mamamayan at media, upang mapatunayan ng mamamayan ang katotohanan at katarungan sa ating mga institusyon ng demokrasya at hustisya….ito ang bagong people power, nagbabantay sa mga proseso ng batas upang lumabas ang buong katotohanan”

But the first woman president who was placed into office by people power won’t hear any of it. Former president Corazon Aquino reiterated her call for President Arroyo to resign.

Palace officials quickly slammed Mrs. Aquino’s call.

LORELEI FAJARDO, Deputy Spokesperson:

“With due respect to the former President, she herself was many times called for to resign during her term, in fact there were 9 coup attempts to remove her, and all bourne of alleged corruption, the former President stood her ground on the basis of the need to have evidence before she would consider any calls for her own resignation, we trust that she would have the understanding of the need to go by the evidence and not by inuendos and simple chismis, we have to respect our institution and the rule of law for by our constitution.”

Aside from answering calls for PGMA to resign… Malacanang is also exerting a lot of effort explaining the president never admitted that the she knew the ZTE deal was flawed.

Some of them, including DTI Secretary Peter Favila, blamed the media for getting the President wrong.

Controversy still surrounds the supposed admission of the President during an interview over DZRH last Saturday.

Malacanang believes, the President can’t be faulted or pinned down over a not so specific statement.

(please watch the YouTube clip, linked here, for the complete quote)

But as the noise calling for the President to leave her post continue to get louder….Mrs. Arroyo’s local government allies continue to troop to the palace to rally behind her. 57 of the 81 governors comprising the League of Provinces were in the palace today. It was clearly a show of numbers, but some quarters argue that quality should also be considered because known independent local leaders like Grace Padaca and Ed Panlilio were not around to walk in solidarity for the president.

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SENTRO February 26, 2008