The Royal Battle

The royal battle has begun. Last night, or rather in the wee hours of morning today, JDV was finally unseated as House Speaker of the land following days of speculation of a covert revolution sponsored by PGMA's neophyte congressmen sons, Mickey and Dato Arroyo. So it has finally happened, the great divide, the bifurcation of two major political heavyweights who has ruled the country's politics for a little less than a decade. The war is on. JDV vs. PGMA, finally. Whoever wins this epic battle must think of the country's good first before his or her own. I can't wait to see the fireworks and find out who the last man, or in this case, last woman, standing. I am hoping for the former.

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To recall, this great unravelling started last quarter of 2007 when JDV's son, the virtual unknown Joey de Venecia (JDV III), dropped the bombed on the Arroyo's, in particular, its infamous patriarch Mike, saying he told him to drop out of the now controversial and almost defunct (not quite still, according to Malacanang, as it is still under review) NBN-ZTE broadband deal. His revelation against the First Gentleman, the country's first ever (so truly the first in that sense), was further aggravated by his physical demonstration of how exactly he was told to back off and stay quiet of the deal which Joey claims was overpriced by at least US$200 million dollars. (It would take me a lifetime to count that money one by one so I won't even imagine how huge that amount is in concept.) He was demanded to stay out the bidding process as apparently the Arroyos already had a company in mind to take up this telecommunications project, in this case, the shady Chinese company ZTE. ZTE would loan out the money, as well as provide the technological know-how, to the government, in order to build up the national broadband network, or an internet highway, that is supposed to connect all government agencies under one encompassing system. In a country with more than half of its population just barely eking out an acceptable standard of human living, the government deems it necessary and prudent to invest in such a fleeting modern craze. It's almost tantamount to buying the latest phone model complete with all the buzz adornments it has to offer when you know for a fact you can barely pay your bills and make both ends meet. So you buy the cellphone and it looks good on you for a day or two until some new model comes along which renders your flashy phone obsolete. In essense, this was what the PGMA administration was proposing when they drafted this contract with the Chinese network. They wanted the country to buy some overpriced broadband deal when they know for a fact that one, the nation couldn't really afford it as it badly needs some other projects to be completed and funded and two, it will go out of style and be outdated in a couple of years time. And yes, they (PGMA's minion) willingly and unashamedly sought for this contract to materialize not out of some misinformed judgement or stupidity but out of plain and simple greed. If this project had pushed through, they could literally spend their lifetimes counting that US$200 million excess money as their share of the kickback. But no, one Joey de Venecia had to get into their way. He spilled the beans on this nefarious transaction for reasons which maybe beyond the cry of a pure conscience, and so it came out in the open, in all its rotten smell and disgusting contents for the public to see. For several weeks this news hugged the spotlight and threatened PGMA's queenship. Calls were renewed for her to resign or be impeached amidst the scandal directly involving her husband but she stayed put and remained in her throne with JDV's help. He staved off doomed impeachment attempts to oust PGMA arguing its wisdom and saying it is not for the good of the country.

The story has made an 180 degrees turn, and this time, it was JDV who was about to be ousted and only the queen could save him. But she showed her true nature by exacting her revenge on JDV for his failure to shut up his son Joey's mouth. So in turn, she gave her own sons, Mickey and Dato, the blessing to do the killing. That is why last night, almost all Congress was wide awake and on unusual overtime, not to pass an important bill that will benefit the million of impoverished and dying Filipinos, but to take the mantle off JDV's stooping shoulders. They place the cloak on a puppet who could do the Arroyo clan's bidding, a former classmate of the First Gentleman himself, Prospero Nograles, who in God's infinite wisdom uttered in his victory speech, "Perhaps, this is my destiny." Perhaps, indeed, it may just be in his destiny when people will finally put up their hands and say "We've had it all. Enough is enough." To say that he will bring about the change and reform that JDV failed to enact all these years he had Speakership of the House is to say that hell would definitely freeze over. Even then, the likelihood of an icy hell is more probable considering the climate and environmental change that the world is now going through. But change, which philosophically is the only constant thing in life, will not happen in this country's lifetime. Unless...

So this is the challenge for JDV to shine. All these years he was called up to go beyond political borders and strings and place the country's interest first and yet he answered this with a deafening silence to cover his queen's iniquity. Only he would be redeemed once he steps out her shadow to claim the light for himself. Confess your sins and tell all. Finally, make this country proud and be the Speaker you should have been. Speak the truth. Speak now or you might forever hold your piece. Eventhough you virtually have nothing to lose and everything to gain, our forgiving people will still love you for it. Filipinos also prefer the underdogs and disadvantaged as it reflects the true state of their SELF.

JDV has the the power to shine and become bigger and better than this perfidy that has transpired. I only hope and pray that God gives him the courage to do it.