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Diosdado Macapagal, late President and father of the incumbent, lost his re-election bid to Ferdinand Marcos. He lost by landslide.

His daughter, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is bent on not duplicating that debacle.

First, she allies herself and her party with that of Marcos crony Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco. She’ll be needing his party machinery and dollar moolahs. Danding, who failed in his presidential bid in the last elections, is contented to be king- (or should I say, queen-) maker and will back up Gloria because the opposition has no viable contender.

Secondly, she’s engineering future massive cheating through the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The latest news is that the Comelec has disallowed the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) from conducting its own unofficial count.

When asked by ABS-CBN why Namfrel was being banned, Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos had stated, “Suppose we have different tallies, who will the people believe?” Of course, we all know the answer to that. For years Filipinos have looked to Namfrel for unbiased counting. In coming elections, the all-important one being next May, it will be just the Comelec to tell us who’s winning.

Thirdly, Gloria would need a Supreme Court favorable to her and her party in case of complaints about election irregularities. The independent-minded Hilario Davide would not be of the best interest. Thus, a collusion with Danding, Speaker of the House Jose De Venecia and Congress lap dogs to oust the Chief Justice.

Yet, she did not foresee the public outrage at the impeachment of the Hon. Davide (politicians, in fact, never feel the pulse of the nation). So she tries to save face by publicly supporting the embattled Chief Justice. So does the wheeling-dealing de Venecia. And a number of Congressmen who first signed to impeach, but now have withdrawn their signatures.

At present, talks are underway in Congress on its next move. The Supreme Court, after receiving several petitions from various groups for a temporary restraining order on Congress, has requested the Lower House not to forward the impeachment just yet to the Senate. Congress has reluctantly complied.

My guess is Congress will stand down, withdraw the impeachment and, as much as possible, come out rosy. I wait with bated breath at how they’re going to word their restraint of abusive power.

The good news is, whatever the outcome, Filipinos already know whom not to vote for in the coming elections. It looks like Gloria will follow in her father’s footsteps after all.

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Someone once said that “politics makes strange bedfellows.” For Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco it’s, “I’ll screw you, you screw me and together let’s screw the nation.” There’s a better word than “screw,” but I wouldn’t want to offend the sensibilities of the growing readership of this humble blog.

Gloria and Danding don’t only make strange bedfellows, they make it sleazy as well. Like pornography, this one has its victims and they happen to be the whole Philippine justice system!

It is alleged, and it’s difficult not to believe it, that Gloria and Danding conspired to have Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. impeached. The President dangled court cases against Danding to have him and his party ally with hers. The exchange deal was Justice Davide, with whom Danding has an axe to grind.

Davide is the sacrificial lamb. After risking life and reputation to legitimize Gloria’s assumption to the presidency, he’s no longer needed as Gloria has been virtually endorsed as supreme leader by the visit of George W. Bush and the Philippines’ inclusion into the UN Security Council.

“Santa Barbara!,” as my uncle would exclaim in moments of incredulity. The thing is, it’s again the ugly traditional politician mentality that Filipinos are stupid and can be fooled.

Not anymore. That’s exactly the reason why Joseph Estrada was ousted and Gloria entrusted with leadership. Now she’s out to screw the nation by shoving it up the Supreme Court, the last bastion of democracy in this topsy-turvy nation we call the Philippines. And against Davide, a soft-spoken man even when he’s angry.

In a televised interview he called the impeachment plotters in Congress “evil.” That’s an understatement. They’re an orgy of nation wreckers under the direction of the power-lusting duo of Gloria and Danding. They should be booted out of Congress next election … that is if we would still have a Congress.

The Philippines just might drown in their sleaze.

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This is how the opposition politicians think: They seek to impeach Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr., one of the most trusted personalities in the public eye, and then want to nominate for the Presidency Fernando Poe, Jr., a popular actor but without any experience or intellect to merit his holding the highest office in the land.

To describe that as stupid would be an understatement. It’s not even political savvy. It’s pure, unadulterated lust for power, the country be damned!

The man behind the impeachment is Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, who has a lot to gain by the ouster of Davide, having a couple of cases under review by the Supreme Court. Yet, more than this, the impeachment is another ploy to embarrass the incumbent President. Cojuangco is a king-maker, a staunch supporter of Joseph Estrada, not because he believes in the unbelievable ex-actor, but because he’s also a puppet master.

He also has a lot of undeclared moolah, which is probably why 88 congressmen suddenly found cause to affix their signatures to impeach the Chief Justice. Some congressmen, however, signified their intent to withdraw their signatures. Perhaps the bidding hasn’t ended yet.

Cojuangco is also behind the move to nominate Poe as standard bearer of the United Opposition. His bedmate in this is Johnny Ponce-Enrile. Both Cojuangco and Enrile benefitted much from their association with the late Ferdinand Marcos. It was rumored that Cojuangco urged Marcos to use violent force to dispel the uprising that was building up on EDSA. Thank heavens Marcos had a conscience.

Enrile, on the other hand, became a hero of that uprising because he defiantly holed up in police headquarters along with Fidel Ramos, which sparked the world-famous “People Power.” In reality, Enrile had no choice because his own grab for power through his lackey, one Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, was discovered.

Watch these two in the coming months and you’ll understand politics Philippine-style. Yet, they are not the problem plaguing the country, neither is it corruption, that favorite scapegoat (now, by the way, the battle cry of another distrustful politico, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson).

The problem lies within the Filipino. On average he’s one smart individual, but yet unable to tame his emotions. They get the better of him. And when you allow cunning snake-charmers such as Cojuangco and Enrile to get into the Filipino’s psyche, that spells disaster.

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George W. Bush was the first US President since Dwight Eisenhower to address a joint session of the Philippine Congress. In 1960, when Eisenhower paid a state visit, he sat in an open sedan while Filipinos lined the streets enthusiastically waving at him with small flags.

George W. Bush, on the other hand, sat in a covered $3 million armored limousine while no one was allowed to line the streets. Instead, police and security forces lined the streets.

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Congreesmen balked at the suggestion they be frisked first by US Secret Service before they entered Congress. They threatened not to attend at all the session. The secret service reps relented.

The congressmen should have suggested that, if they be frisked, then Congress security should in turn frisk Bush and his entourage.

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Sen Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, instigator of several failed coups against President Corazon Aquino and now linked with the failed mutiny last July, was wearing a peace pin. Quick, someone come up with an award for sheer hypocrisy!

He criticized the speech of Bush before the joint Congress as a pep talk and suggested the Filipinos wait for the substance. He should know; all he’s been giving Filipinos himself is hot air.

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Admittedly, however, Honasan’s right. Bush was full of praises for the Filipinos for our “courageous and principled stand” in “supporting and enforcing the serious consequences” brought on Iraq. He then promised aid to the Philippines. As someone wisely said, “Pledges are not money in the bank.”

A commentator was quoted as saying the Americans are always dubious with their promises. I agree. So I and many Filipinos will wait and see if the American President’s deeds are as good as his words.

Otherwise, his speech at the Philippine Congress can be described as one snake talking to a pit-full of other snakes.

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From the Air Force base where Air Force One landed, President Bush made an unscheduled stop at the US Embassy. Everyone and his dog speculated at the mysterious side trip. My guess? The President wanted to take a leak.

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His visit will last only 8 hours, but the frenzy surrounding it will last for weeks or even months to come.

For President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the visit of the quasi-American emperor is a needed boost to her presidency, her coming campaign and her worldwide image, notwithstanding that the image of George W. Bush worldwide is increasingly becoming contemptible.

For the other administration biggies and groupies, it’s a hopeful photo-op and a hopeless attempt to be significant.

For the opposition, it’s wait and see. To become too noisy at this point might jeopordize their own campaign since, like it or not, the U.S. of A. is still a world power to kowtow to.

For the cause-oriented groups, they’ll demonstrate against anything that moves so long it puts them before the TV cameras and on the front pages of dailies.

For the police and armed forces, it’s a major headache.

For former President Joseph Estrada, it’s a time to try and say something intelligent so he’ll be perceived as a statesman and not a braggart.

For the average Filipino, it’s a season to grant interviews to man-on-the-street journalists and utter the more sensible and wise comments.

For me, it’s time to end this particular blog, lie down to sleep and hope that each new day would bring a better Philippines and an even better Filipino.

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The much ballyhooed part 3 of Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s the Incredible Hulk exposé ´urned out to be a disappointment. It was all innuendo and gossip. He even managed to drag the President into the controversy.

I’m no fan of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, but if you’re going to accuse the President (of any country, for that matter), you better come up with hard evidence. It’s surprising that Lacson, a former Philipine National Police head, just had saliva.

He was perhaps hoping to win the hearts and minds of Filipinos towards a possible People Power uprising before the elections. I will not endeavor to describe the uprising against Joseph Estrada, of which Lacson was reluctant to join until the final moments. Suffice it to say this exposé ¡gainst the Arroyos is just not going to do it.

Instead, what this is revealing is that Lacson is trying to exult himself by putting down another. As a result, we’re again seeing the ugly attitude of a traditional politician that presumes Filipinos are stupid and can’t see the difference.

The Arroyos have one loud battle cry: “Charge us in court!” And Lacson is using gossip to fight back. If he truly has what it takes to bring his exposé ´o the proper legal channels, why doesn’t he?

In the Senate inquiry, especially the sessions that bore down on Iggy Arroyo, some pointed questions were asked that Iggy was obviously uncomfortable in answering. Many Filipinos suspect he and his brother Mike are hiding something. But nothing came about from the inquiry.

Lacson has to have the balls to follow through with formally charging the Arroyos. Otherwise his slogan, “Huwag matakot, stop kurakot” (in English, “Do not fear, stop corruption”) might be perceived to have a hidden ending: “Ako lang ang mangurakot!” (in English, “I alone corrupt”).

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Is the Philippines so bereft of issues that President Gloria Arroyo’s recent change of mind about running generates so much wasted verbal onslaught?

So what if she changed her mind? So what if she reneged on her Rizal Day statement not to run. She felt then she didn’t want to. Now she feels she has to. Let the Filipinos decide whether she’s fit to be placed back in the Presidency.

And the opposition doesn’t have to point out what her faults are. The opposition stalwarts are not exactly immaculately clean either. In fact, they are in a frenzy as to who their standard bearer will be in the coming Presidential elections.

One, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, will run no matter who his colleagues will choose. So, it’s either they go along with him or choose some other lackey like (horrors!) actor Fernando Poe, Jr. I suspect the opposition will be divided come the official election season. This is probably the reason why Gloria decided to run. A divided opposition has little chance of winning.

This is also why we had the recent blotched military coup that only managed to have Filipinas drooling over the young officers who led that misadventure. It’s “throw out Gloria now” or get something concrete by election time, the former, apparently, a less expensive exercise.

In the coming week it will be relatively quiet as U.S. Emperor George W. Bush comes waltzing into town except for the perennially noisy cause-oriented groups who are publicity hounds. After that, the country will be thrown in the biggest circus in town called the “Presidential Elections.”

Unless Filipinos wise up and elect the one who has the right stuff morally, spiritually and intelligently, we might as well create a new national budget disbursement for corruption. And it definitely must be headed by a relative.

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