Guardian of the lie

I can understand where Sen. Aquilino Pimentel is coming from. The parsimonious senator was shocked when he heard that 2 million pesos has thus far been spent on securing Lozada and Madriaga. That's a lot of money indeed. But the Senate should also ask itself how much the PSG and Malacañang spends each time their president decides to hold an out-of-town cabinet meeting. In one blow, that 2 million is probably spent. There is the advance party, both from the PMS and the PSG. There are the hotel and restaurant arrangements. There are the nightmarish security arrangements which likely include navy cutters patrolling the seas off Panglao in Bohol. Why, even media outfits have to spend so much, because they have to cover these events.

Enrile and Pimentel should instead be asking why cabinet meetings are not held in the seat of power. That is most convenient for everyone. What is there in Panglao that makes it ideal for cabinet discussions on the high cost of power? Is the Boss Woman afraid that Manolo Lopez would shut off power distribution to Jose P. Laurel St. while Winston Garcia fulminates against him and his crew?

If the Boss Woman wants to luxuriate in the villas of Panglao Island Nature Resort, let her do that on a weekend, and not bring the entire government with her.

But having said that, I agree that in the interest of proper husbanding of Senate funds, they should get into the details of the cost of securing whistleblowers like Lozada and Madriaga. The senators will be shocked to realize that 2 million in this age of Gloria can hardly buy anything.

But they should likewise fret about the public money being spent to protect someone who was not even elected by the people, and who continues to lie brazenly about almost everything.

The next time the Boss Woman wants to have an out-of-town cabinet meeting, Senator Enrile should invite her and her entire government to his fiefdom in Cagayan facing the sea which leads to the Babuyan Islands. And with his huge pile of money, he should foot the entire bill, including the costs of securing her and her acolytes in power. Let's see how that would add up. While it certainly will not make the slightest dent on the senator's fortunes, it certainly will cost more than 2 million pesos.

Sen. Ping Lacson, whose fortune is not even a pinch of what his senior colleague Enrile has at least volunteers to take Lozada and Madriaga's security burden in the interest of protecting the truth.

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Meanwhile, in the stables of the stinking palace beside the stinking river, Jesus Dureza is the new press secretary, and Esperon will cool his heels as peace adviser, while waiting for the right time, when Raul Gonzales willingly vacates his post so his president can persuade Gilbert Teodoro to move to Padre Faura. Then she would make good her promise to Esperon to make him the defense secretary, the better to secure her illegitimate hold on political power.

My Malacañang mole was so certain of Esperon's civilian promotion and Teodoro's switch many weeks ago. What happened, I asked? "Raul had a heart-to-heart talk with the boss" was all he could say.

Then why Dureza, I asked? "She could not find anything else suitable for Norberto (el otro Gonzales). That's where Esperon was supposed to have been parked, the NSA. And the peace process was the "most suitable" after the national security adviser's position," came the reply.

Putting square pegs in round holes from recyclables in her cabinet is their Boss Woman's idea of "good governance." And then again, it's likely because no one from the private sector would want to join this government, nevermore. Those who are salivating for positions, especially the gang of talunan in the last national elections, are not interested in Bunye's job. "Puro problema, wala namang magnanakaw," they probably maintain.

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But Bunye is going to where there is a lot of money, not that he can lay his hands on it, or that he is motivated by such. He will replace either Vince Valdepenas or Raul Boncan, private sector representatives to the Monetary Board who are due for retirement next month.

But the FSGO (the movement of former senior government officials) is asking, how could Bunye represent the private sector when he has been in government service for the past 22 years? "A private sector representative should be familiar with the views of the business and labor sectors because his inputs are important in the formulation of monetary policy. Furthermore, Bunye has never occupied an important position in a private sector institution even though he claims to have been an assistant vice president in Bank of the Philippine Islands and Ayala Investment and Development Corporation (AIDC)," says an FSGO member, one who has held high posts in public finance. "Toting was a colleague of mine in AIDC for many years but I must say that I don't think he fits into the board," he adds.

As I keep saying, it's "good governance", folks, Boss Woman style. Whatever she wants, she gets. Whatever she wants is "good". Basta ya!

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The Black & White Movement is dismayed and astounded at the appointment of retired AFP chief Hermogenes Esperon as presidential adviser on the peace process. "This bewildering appointment can be compared to the fox being made to guard the chicken coop, and may indicate that the warmongers among GMA's cabinet have gained the upper hand," they wrote in a press statement.

"As for the move of Jesus Dureza from the peace process to the presidential press office, we note that Mr. Dureza's skill in artful dodging did not serve the objective of the peace process under his watch. His stint in the latter didn't seem to earn him many "spin" points, but we are confident Dureza will get a lot of "spin" practice as press Ssecretary," Black and White sarcastically observes.

Kayo naman kasi, iniwanan niyo si Doña Gloria. (The core of Black and White is made up of members of the Hyatt 10.) We understand your reasons. You couldn't take all the lying and the stealing on top of the cheating.

But shouldn't that give you some inner satisfaction that your former Boss Woman is left with no more than musical chairs to re-arrange? Wait till June, when she desperately tries to find out who she could bump off to give way to her faithful talunan.

At least Esperon was retired from the military. And Bunye wants to lie no more. Be thankful for the Boss Woman's little mercies.