he apologists of
Gloria Arroyo say the protesters calling for her resignation/ouster are wasting
their breath. She has no intention of resigning no matter what.
Nothing could be clearer than that. But granting that Gloria
indeed intends to stick to her office like a leech, it does not follow that
those calling for her ouster should all go home and suffer in silence until she
steps down in 2010. On the contrary, the practical reason to be drawn is that
the campaign for her resignation or ouster needs to be expanded and sustained.
At the start of this trial of strength, she is armed with the
full panoply of powers under the presidency. She heads the executive department
and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Look where it is now even as
people power is only starting to gather momentum.
Her credibility is shot. Her ability to govern is as good as
crippled. She is already isolated from the people and relying more and more on
the military and police to keep her safe in Malacañang.
In a confrontation between the people and a president whose
support has been whittled to a few generals, there can be no doubt about the
final outcome.
This early, Gloria’s propagandists are already flashing what
they believe is their ace up their sleeve. They are already sketching a scenario
of violence which would justify Arroyo’s calling out of troops. Yesterday’s
purported arrest of an alleged terrorist out to blow up embassies and
assassinate Gloria (who’s this guy, Rambo?) looks like a dry run. Policemen and
soldiers sealed off the approaches to Metro Manila to harass and intimidate
people who intended to join the Makati interfaith rally. Heavily armed troops
were deployed in practically all places where people congregate.
The intimidation didn’t work, but we don’t see Gloria’s
lapdogs in the AFP and the PNP easing up on their efforts to scare the people.
The contrary is more like it, that is, increasing militarization.
It’s a bluff at the moment. It is very much in the character
of Gloria, however, to try to pull off a coup against the Republic and the
Constitution. We doubt the badly fragmented military will follow her. But the
more important question is: Will we as a people yield to naked blackmail?
We’ll have the answer soon.
