Breaktime: After the packed
The midterm elections by now are over but for some last-ditch, after-the-fact maneuvering for party-list seats in Congress, leaving the Aquino (Part II) administration barely three years to create its lasting marks in the economy—as well as in our lives. In business, from what I gathered, think-tanks such as the influential groups PCCI (Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry) and FPI (Federation of Philippine Industries) are desperately looking for signs of governmental life in the administration. After all, as the business sector always feared in the past, after the midterm elections, the president’s boys in the executive branch and his allies in both chambers in the legislature would simply dismiss him—or her—as a lame duck president.
And so everybody would be pushing for their own agenda, perhaps positioning for the next national elections in 2016. Worst of all, they might even start to fatten their bank accounts through some shameless brazen deals left and right. From what I gathered, the business community still generally expects that our leader Benigno Simeon (aka BS) would remain committed to his “Daang Matuwid” campaign slogan. After all, he could be only a one-term president of the republic in a one-shot deal with all of just six years to do the seemingly impossible.
Personally, I do not think that, after those three years of warding off packs after packs of favor-seekers and power brokers, even including—reportedly—certain relatives of his, our leader BS is about to drop his guard and let some interest groups define his exit program. It is said in business that the next three years would be his last chance to create the legacy of his administration, particularly in the economy, which he could achieve only by addressing the remaining threats to peace and order, as recent headlines already showed.
Thus, in the next three years, the “legacy” agenda of our leader BS can be packed with only two items: peace and prosperity. True, the Aquino (Part II) administration has achieved some success in propelling the economy to higher growth rates. The uptrend nevertheless can still go away because of the peace and order problems, particularly in Mindanao. Clearly, our leader BS still needs the complete dedication of his boys and his allies. It is unclear whether or not he is aware of the people around him who are already pushing for their own respective plans for 2016.
On the peace process, perhaps our leader BS would need more time to wrap up the administration’s negotiation with the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) after the Palace forged the so-called framework agreement with the rebels. Surely the Palace will need support from its allies in Congress, in which some traditional politicians unfortunately still dictate the order of the day. Our information is that our leader BS indeed already picked Sen. Franklin Drilon, who was campaign manager of the administration’s senatorial candidates in the recent elections, as the administration bet for the Senate presidency.
Let us just say that my source in Malacañang, who requested anonymity, put the prospect of Drilon becoming the next Senate president in this nonchalant way: “It is expected!” Drilon was already three times Senate president, in 2000, then during the entire 12th Congress in 2001-2004, and finally during the entire 13th Congress in 2004-2006, making him the head of the highest deliberative chamber in the land during the time of the man named Band…Wrist Band… and throughout most of the discredited cute administration of Gloriaetta.
By the way, both Wrist Band and Gloriaetta faced charges of “plunder,” with Wrist Band already getting a conviction, plus the pardon from Gloriaetta, whose case nevertheless is still ongoing before the Sandiganbayan. Anyway, we all know that Drilon casually broke away from the Arroyo administration after the election scandal in 2005, known in media as the “Hello, Garci” affair that led to the strong protest movements against the cute administration of Gloriaetta. We also know that during the Aquino (Part I) administration of Tita Cory, it was Drilon who reaped all the media coverage (good and bad, of course) for his order to file charges known as “rebellion-complexed-with-murder” against then Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile for alleged involvement in an attempted coup.
On the other hand, outgoing Sen. Edgardo Angara may be looking for a position in the executive branch under our leader BS. Angara was earlier said to be eyeing the governorship of his home province Aurora, which we now know did not fan out. His son, Senator-elect Sonny Angara, nevertheless ran in the administration senatorial ticket. From what I heard, Angara the father is next in line for the prestigious position of secretary of foreign affairs, for which he is rather qualified, considering his immeasurable experience as a lawyer, UP administrator, Cabinet member and legislator.
Still the country’s top diplomat preferably must have no tumultuous politics in his past. Well, Angara at one time forged a cooperative alliance with the administration of former President Fidel “Kuya Eddie” Ramos when Angara was the Senate president, and then he promptly switched sides to become the running mate of Wrist Band in the 1998 elections. When he lost to Gloriaetta, Angara became agriculture secretary and later on executive secretary. Angara’s controversial diary chronicled the last days of Wrist Band as president, revealing some juicy bits that possibly deepened the political grave of Wrist Band. Finally, Angara split his own party called LDP in the 2004 presidential elections.
As for the running mate of our leader BS in the 2010 elections, DILG Secretary Manuel A. Roxas, it is said that his group is ready to do battle with the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay in what is turning out to be a grudge match since Binay defeated Roxas in 2010 in a come-from-behind victory. From what I gathered, the Roxas camp is ready in terms of organization and funding, which can also be said of the Binay apparatus, as shown by the victory of Binay’s daughter Nancy in the senatorial race, a virtual unknown who won due to Binay’s vaunted political machinery.
And yet the Department of Interior and Local Government plays a key role in the agenda of our leader BS for peace and order in the next crucial three years, since the entire national police are under DILG supervision. We all know how the police acted in certain areas during the last elections where the administration candidates, under the Liberal Party, were facing a tough race against the Lakas-CMD party, chaired by Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla. They actually used intimidation—with a lot of officially issued weapons.
