ne side banners the call
for a moral revolution. The other waves the flag of reforms. Had we landed from
Mars, we would be awestruck by the high principles that appear to animate the
current battle for Speaker.
As we were writing this, a motion was pending before the
plenary to declare the speakership vacant. The motion was hanging because of the
repeated suspension by the chair of the proceedings. But parliamentary dilatory
tactics would sooner or later have to yield to the motion on the table. By last
night, we would know whether the motion would be carried. If so then it would be
a foregone conclusion Jose de Venecia would be out. Possibly also by last night;
at the latest by today.
As everybody waited to see what fate had in store for De
Venecia, minority leader Ronaldo Zamora provided a sober take on the brouhaha.
He said the minority was staying out of the fray. The row was internal to the
ruling coalition. All the minority was interested in was why the allies of long
standing were now at each other’s throats. Zamora said he was voicing out the
thinking of the people who elected these now brawling worthies.
De Venecia, one of our favorite politicians for his gift of
gab, has lately been incoherent on why he won’t go into the night without a
fight. He was talking about a moral revolution to put an end to widespread
corruption. He hailed the decision of his son, Joey, to expose the overpriced
$329 million national broadband project which allegedly was being pushed by Mike
Arroyo.
De Venecia, however, could not – or would not – push his
argument to its conclusion. And that is, the worsening corruption could directly
be traced to the greed for gold and power of Gloria Arroyo, her family and their
allies. For that would also be an indictment of himself, he who had served as a
partner of the Arroyos.
And on the other side? Let’s not talk about brothers Mikey
and Dato Arroyo and their uncle Iggy. We know where they are coming from. They
cannot forgive Joe for failing to stop Joey from exposing the NBN deal and
bringing his father in the much .
We are left with Luis Villafuerte, president of Gloria’s
party Kampi, and the other members of the De Venecia wrecking crew. They said
the House should pursue legislation needed to sustain the economic momentum of
the Arroyo administration. They said they wanted greater sharing of powers and
responsibilities among House members. So Joe had to go.
And so we have this spectacle of both sides wrapping themselves in
principles. They could have fooled us, had we not known them to be the worst of
"trapos."
