Tatad's expert opinion came pretty much of a shocker to a lot of people, almost in the same league as the martial law declaration that he read on national television. But as the saying goes, this is a free country now and the gentleman from Catanduanes is entitled to his own opinions like the rest of us. Anyway, Tatad is not in the same fishbowl as those pro-Aling Gloria rallyists who were paid to attend their gathering and had sold their right to form their own opinions for a few hundred pesos.

Tatad did leave the door open to shift in the political winds. "We cannot say if this is just the beginning but the situation remains fluid," Tatad said as he emphasized the difference between the current political crisis from the two previous EDSA revolutions.

He does make a seemingly strong case as to why the presidential hopefuls may want Aling Gloria to stay in power. Just her being there simplifies the voter's choice - you either like her or not and, according to the surveys, the former are now a small minority making her political endorsement for her anointed successor a kiss of death.

This was already the case for many of the administration senatorial bets in 2007 and the likes of former Malacañang golden boy Michael Defensor may nod in agreement. In fact, if the protest actions become strong enough, we may actually see Aling Gloria become a lame duck president making it easier for the opposition to win in 2010.

We might but I doubt that very much. The lady is not only what her former student and Albay governor Jose Salceda described her to be, she is also a political survivor who is not averse to using the most deceitful and vile means to hold on to power. To pacify the people she found it convenient to promise she will not run in 2004. Aling Gloria ran anyway. Indeed, the number of times she has resurrected herself from the political grave she keeps on digging would make Lazarus green with envy.

The political opposition cannot afford to grant her the political breathing space to recover because Aling Gloria will indefinitely postpone her stay in office. If Aling Gloria can trounce the expected impeachment attempt after her next State of the Nation Address, who is to say that her allies in Congress will force another bid to amend our Constitution and install Aling Gloria as prime minister or empress for life? After all, she is the first chief executive of this country after the EDSA revolt to not only threaten media with closure but also impose a curfew in any part of the country. Certainly, the effectiveness of those measures has not been lost to her.

What we are is in the midst of a titanic political struggle. The National Broadband Network scandal is not the main issue here. It is merely the spark that has ignited public outrage against the systematic looting and misuse of the instrumentalists of our government to benefit those who are in power. And, the task on hand is to find a peaceful way to rid the Philippines of the political pestilence that was installed after EDSA II.

And, in my honest opinion, the we should boot Aling Gloria out of power soonest and not wait around for 2010. We should have done it a long, long time ago.