You hear this type of discussion in coffee shops, across family dining tables, in offices; wherever people gather and end up talking about the political issues of the day.

And ever since Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada tearfully recounted not only his ordeal at the hands of his VIP welcoming committee – a group of men who referred to him as "ito" (this one or this thing) and who took him to places that reminded him of the still-missing Bubby Dacer, the discussions have taken on more passion and some sense of urgency all because people are beginning to feel that next to the "Hello Garci" crisis that gripped the GMA administration this one has the makings of a crisis that could lead to its downfall.

That is, if what I call the "Lozada moment" becomes a conscienti-cization momentum that leads to an ouster movement. And, from the early appearances, it seems that this time things are jelling in a way that they didn’t even at the height of the uproar around the "Hello Garci" conspiracy.

What’s the difference? The growing involvement of the youth.

In 2005, when the taped voices were first aired, making popular words and phrases like "Hello Ma’am" and "Will I still lead by 1 m?" the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church was highly divided on what to do.

It was so divided – some even say misguided – that one bishop was even quoted as saying that there was no basis for ousting Gloria for cheating because everybody cheats anyway! I don’t know whether or not that bishop was censured at all, but talk about providing moral leadership to your flock! Ever since then every philandering husband could tell his wife, "What’s the big deal? So many others cheat on their wives anyway?" And I don’t even know if the number of people going to confession has dropped. Why confess a sin if many people commit the same and bishops see nothing wrong with that?

Three years later the Church remains deeply divided, and in fact runs the risk of being put in a position where it will be following, rather than leading, its flock in the latter’s demand for truth, justice and accountability.

In 2005 the military itself was divided. The military hierarchy, invoking "adherence to the chain of command" issued order after order prohibiting officers and men from telling what they knew about the electoral fraud. But because many in the military leadership were said to be themselves involved in the cheating, the order to adhere to the chain of command appeared like an order to shut up so as not to endanger certain careers. Tensions came to a boil in February of 2006 when elements of the Philippine Marines came close to breaking that chain of command.

While the military leadership eventually took control of the situation, one wonders if everything is really under control beneath the surface three years later.

In 2005, the leaders of business were also divided. The Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines, on one hand, openly called on the President to resign. The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on the other, refused to join in that call. Three years hence the situation remains the same.

But here is where 2008 differs from 2005. Across the National Capital Region – from Ateneo to La Salle, UP to PUP – students are coming out in droves to voice their protests over what they perceive to be an excess of greed and a blatant attempt to silence people willing to speak the truth. Whether through fora, noise barrages or walk-outs, young Filipinos are slowly emerging from their cocoons and finding their courage and their voices, the way their elders did 23 years ago after Ninoy Aquino was shot.

It is this element of protesting youth, more than anything else, that should give PGMA and her team pause, because once the genie of youthful protest is allowed out of the bottle, history has shown that it will be very difficult – and potentially bloody – to try to push that genie back in.

The protesting youth in 2008 could very well be the missing element that in 2005 failed to transform the "Hello Garci" moment into a successful ouster movement.

From moment to momentum to movement: Will the Filipino youth carry the burden of the fight for truth, justice and accountability that elements of the military, the Church and big Business have abdicated?