GMA should not resign

ENQUIRY
DEMAREE J.B. RAVAL

GMA should not resign
Sunday, 12 06, 2009

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, she who stole the presidency not only once but twice, has filed her certificate of candidacy for the second district of Pampanga. There being no constitutional or legal basis for her to forfeit her seat as president while she continues to be a candidate for a congressional seat, Arroyo shall continue to be the president until noon of June 30, 2010, the call for her to resign notwithstanding.

If she resigns from the presidency, that would be very unbecoming of Arroyo.

It would be very unbecoming of her to heed the call of her erstwhile mentor and savior, former president Fidel Ramos, for her to resign out of delicadeza. When ever has there been a time that delicadeza been steeped in the genes of Arroyo? And, when oh when has Ramos been the credible geriatric to give such advice?

If she resigns from the presidency, that would be inconsistent with Arroyo’s reputation for clinging to her position no matter what.

Remember, Arroyo has a covenant with the people, guaranteed with the imprimatur of the Lord after she had an audience with the late Karol Józef Wojtyła and confirmed by a phone call from Garci. If she does resign despite being bound by such awesome indentures, what would that make of her? Surely, she’ll be branded as an ingrate by the political lords of Cebu, the warlords of Maguindanao and elsewhere, and lords of the Liberal Party and Lakas-Kampi, who guaranteed her hold at the presidency! It is not in the mould of Arroyo to defy the will of the Lord, her private priests and bishops and other earthly overlords.

If she resigns from the presidency, that will jeopardize her grand plan at staying in power beyond June 30, 2010.

Arroyo out of the presidency while she campaigns for a congressional seat would deprive her of her undue advantage over her opponents. One does not need a master’s degree in Economics to commit the stupidity of agreeing to a level playing field. After all, elections is all about gaining advantage over the rest.

Remember that Arroyo and her future cabal in the House of Representatives need to muster at least 127 seats in the House, to guarantee her the Speakership and God-knows-what she and her trapos — Housewipes, as I said in a past column— intend to do after that. If she resigns from the presidency now, she would be without the paid personnel and realigned resources to wage a nationwide campaign and orchestrate the candidacies of her future colleagues in the House.

An Arroyo out of the presidency between now and June 30, 2010, would be unthinkable, given the opportunities that still lie out there for the taking.

Between now and June 30, 2010 is a lot of time to make hay while the sun shines; rather, to make much more while the opportunity to make much more is there. Carpe Diem, said Horace. Who is the idiot who will resign from office just to let such happy and profitable days go by?

Between now and the day and hour when a new president shall assume office is a national budget waiting to be spent. Who is the idiot who will not care to realign its items to remedy some nationwide crisis, such as a nationwide loss of confidence, by foreswearing public service?

Many issues and many more scams will be unearthed. Who is the author of such issues or the orchestrator of such scams foolish enough to let accusers ride high, wide and handsome, instead of exerting a tight rein to make such issues and scams go unopposed, given the advantage that the powers of a public office provide?

Now, we have the Maguindanao experience at martial law. This is a dress rehearsal for something more sinister and more expansive, designed to rig the May 2010 elections. Who will declare that more expansive martial law if Arroyo resigns?

Once upon a time, elections were contests where decency was written all over — decent men and women fighting each other for the people’s support; decent supporters to bring in the votes, under decent rules. The last time I looked out my window, I saw neither trace nor shadow of decency in the landscape.

Given this absolute lack of decency, would anyone still believe that Arroyo would give up her seat in that Palace by the stinking river now that she has filed her certificate of candidacy for a position—albeit many steps removed from the presidency, but from a convenient fulcrum point where she can leverage herself to the position of Speaker of the House? And from there, only God knows where.

And speaking of where, the majority of the electorate still does not know where to go for instruction about the automated election systems.

Have they not heard Ferdinand Rafanan, chief of the Comelec law department, who said they are preparing for a "massive voters’ education" and "reach the remotest barangays."? "We will go down to the grassroots. It will not only be a show on television, every voter will be given opportunity to try how to shade ballots and how to cast a ballot," said Rafanan in a weekly Senate forum.

My television must be receiving broadcasts from outer space and my newspapers must be coming from a distant planet in some parallel universe. You see, up to now I have not watched a TV show or read any news about Rafanan’s assurances. All I hear is some strange music in my head with the following opening lyrics:

Is there anybody going to listen to my story
All about the girl who wants to stay
She’s the kind of girl who once said “Sorry”
And lives in a Palace up to this day…

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