After two decades, we have seemingly outgrown our juvenile fascination with entertainment celebrities. We barred the likes of Tito Sotto and Lito Lapid from the Senate and Makati City Hall, respectively. Goma and Machete are sulking with their trophy wives. It looks like Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada are revving up their public relations machines towards 2010.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
THE LAMEDUCK IS A MINER
He spoke too soon. Manny Villar is a marked man when he said right after the SONA that the President is a spent force, a lame duck. While she made some reassuring words that she won’t be seeking reelection as the Constitution bars it, she was heard saying in jest somewhere in Pampanga that she is prepared to represent one district of the province as its congressman. The announcement was met with enthusiasm by her Kabalens who took the joke as a promise made.
THE SENATE PRESIDENT FLEXES HIS PLEXUS
Right now, the Senate President is into working out his fledgling Nacionalista Party. His sight is no longer beyond his rostrum. His think tank is no longer engrossed on how to save his precarious corporate flagship corporation, C & P Homes, as his promissory notes were safely bought by the SPAVs he principally crafted under the guidance of his financial advisers, while he poured in his billions of pork from the last 6 years in what the Cavitenos call Daang Hari. Villar bought hundreds of hectares in Molino for a pittance per square meter. From Ayala Alabang, he caused the acquisition of rights-of-way towards his land banking and built a 4-lane boulevard. Upon completion of the highway in the backwoods, his land inventory shoots up to billions of pesos. Now he looks with misty eyes the mansion in Mendiola. Nakakasa na ang budget sa 2010, thanks to his CDF.
HOUSE MANOEUVRE
It looks like the Pablo Garcia blitz was nothing more than a Palace leverage. The Cebuano patriarch was used as credible gambit for GMA to get what it wants from the longest reigning Speaker in our history. Ginamit si Lolo. Talks fly that the old man Garcia has a mind of his own and may prove to be intractable for the next three years. Whereas Joe de Venecia bears the public mug of loyalty, that is, when rented he stays rented, so long as the lease contract subsists. The patriarch’s issues were shaking their heads in disbelief. Naisahan kami, ika. GMA used them a second time. The first time was when they delivered Cebu to her in 2004.
ROADMAP TO 2010
Perish the thought that the sitting President is into building her legacy.
2010 is a defining year of the Arroyo Presidency. The next three years shall prepare her to insure her retirement. She cringes in the thought of being hauled like a fugitive and incarcerated like her predecessor.
Two things are on her mind: build up a formidable machinery to backstop a protégé; or, cook a scenario a la Marcos to justify a Charter overhaul ushering a parliament peopled by her allies. And who do you think is the first ceremonial Prime Minister?
FEAR OF REPRISAL
With the likes of Senators Sonny Trillanes, Noynoy Aquino and Peter Cayetano in the realm, she fears of reprisals from these committed young men who have scores to settle with her.
With Trillanes, 4 years in the calaboose is just too much. The next 6 years and the prospect of reelection are comfortable enough to plan for revenge. Remember Gen. Reynaldo Berroya, an Erap gofer in the defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission who was convicted of kidnapping and was sent to Muntinlupa? He got his partial comeuppance with Erap now in Tanay facing plunder before the Sandiganbayan. His real nemesis and tormentor, Ping Lacson is a two-term senator with a pending espionage case in the US along with the sidelined Col. Rey Aquino and former FBI officer and alumnus of PMA Leandro Aragoncillo. For Berroya, it’s just a matter of time to get even with Ping. Spying in the US is a federal offense. Berroya believes that Ping shall get the same fate of General Manuel Noriega of Panama. With the prospect of Trillanes in the Senate for the next 12 years, the likelihood of plunder cases and their no bail proviso haunt the First Couple and their solons-kins. Nobody knows how far Trillanes goes. With P5M a month from the public coffers as legislator, “one of his men might become restless”, scrounging on the repartee of Gene Hackman in the movie The Legionnaires.
As to Noynoy, his resentment with the President has gone on the personal level. GMA has declared war on Cory Aquino’s family when DAR brought land reform compulsory coverage over their crown jewel, the Hacienda Luisita. Cory and Gloria are no longer on speaking terms. Walang utang na loob, ika.
Peter Alan on the other hand is still discomfited on what Mike Arroyo did last election: harnessing a namesake with matching budget up to the office of Chairman Ben Abalos. Comelec fidgeted, with the right allocation, on the disqualification case against the stevedore Joselito. With the demolition job on Peter Alan until Election Day, the Cayetano family was sleepless in Alabang. Now that Peter Alan was sworn in as the 8th senator, payback time is not far behind. Remember that the godfather of these young musketeers is the Prisoner of Tanay, grinding all available katanas once his progeny succeeds GMA.
INVIGORATING LAKAS
It was bargain time for GMA with Speaker Joe. Aware of the LP and NP square-off, GMA doesn’t want to be left behind. With the two-pary advance skirmish, the President is afraid that she is being relegated in the background. The people now are talking about two political parties, and Lakas and Kampi are not them. This early, the people are conditioned about the return of the two- party system. Under this scenario, the presidential blueprint is still it. GMA needs the Speaker. Whoever is with the Speaker, FVR is not far behind. Lakas is the son FVR never had. The game plan therefore is power sharing with FVR in the true sense of the phrase. FVR is the chief strategist. Either they field GMA or FVR bet in 2010. But FVR is a principled man. He doesn’t countenance government looting to finance a political run. Logistics should come from where it is abundant, and legal.
GMA’s son and kin-in-law were named the top honchos of the Committees of Energy and Environment. Those assignments came in the heels of transferring the Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PDMC) to the Office of the President. The President divested the DENR of its function centrepiece. The department is now relegated to protecting the trees of the City of Manila. An environmental watchdog warned of a virtual chokehold by the Arroyos of the mining industry in the next three years.
(Clemente Bautista, coordinator of Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE)) maintained that the situation evoke blatant conflict of interest with Ms Arroyo’s assumption of control over the PDMC, which will oversee mining development and the approval of new mining projects, and Representative Arroyo’s function in the House committee which is tasked to investigate problems related to the environment and natural resources, many of which are related to previous, current and future mining projects in the country.
…He expressed fear that Ms Arroyo can just approve mining contracts left and right with the PDMC under her control.
“While her brother-in-law can very easily block calls for Congressional probes into mining-related environmental disasters or mining deals that may be anomalous, dangerous, and plunderous by virtue of his position,” he added. (Two Arroyo’s in mining industry ‘fishy,’ says green group By Delfin Mallari Jr., Inquirer, Last updated 11:54pm (Mla time) 08/01/2007).
Faced with China’s insatiable need for metals in its development surge, it looks towards the Philippines to filling in the demand. With an initial ante of US$500M, foreign investors are gradually trickling in the country to partake of the biggest mining pie in Asia.
With stockholders agreements all over the place, the family is assured of a ratio in the investments in the form of shares. Without plunking in any amount, in exchange of access and pencil-pushing fees, the President thru her dummies is assured of sizeable capital from the mining ventures. Any scandal in the offing is squelched sub rosa by the son and brother-in-law in the House awashed with lobby money from the alien miners. May panggastos pa si Bayaw, ika.
The script is not preposterous. In fact, there is another family who to this day has started their trek to the Mendiola Manor. The Gatchalians are now busy sprucing up their mining behemoth in anticipation of the Chinese invasion armed with shovels to rake in the mineral and iron deposits of this third world country. Looking at the financials of the mining ventures, their peso-per-share looks promising and affordable. What we don’t know is that the family has tucked under their pockets billions of founding-common shares at a few centavos per share. Following the script of the patriarch, joint partnerships are announced with international mining players. Soon after, an IPO. By unloading billions of shares in the market 6 or 8 years from now, in utter insider trading, the presidential bet, without threats Erap style, makes billions in campaign kitty.
GMA’s dummies are into the same direction, unload their trust and deliver the moolah to their benefactress all ready to rock in 2010.
THE FATE OF MAR ROXAS
There is no question that the Aranetas are oozing with money. But their billions are all that they’ve got just like the Ayalas. Their money is on the table and the Araneta family is not about ready to push it on the middle, and go for broke. Their money is blood money. With Villar’s tubong lugaw and GMA’s tubong laway, Mar Roxas can not gamble dugo ni Lolo. Besides her mother Ruby remains first and foremost an Araneta. Sure, there are a number of Liberals in the Senate, but the sum of their pork is simply insufficient. Running on pork is not how it is done, unless you are the sitting President with billions in discretionary fund, including the still unaccounted fertilizer fund. GMA runs her office in exact opposite with that of her father, Diosdado. Right now, Mar is in the vortex of controversy. He has already earned the ire of the drug companies. With billions of pesos in lobby money these pharmaceuticals are into battle mood to stopping the cheap medicine bill of Roxas. If the media are indeed true to their calling of reporting no matter who gets hurt, they should support the advocacy of Mar. Sad to say, the big media players are careful with their annual bottom lines courtesy of the adverts from the drug companies. In the mean time, the pretenders to the presidency are playing it safe, secure in the thought that kapag presidente na ako, saka ko na gagawin ang gusto ni Mar.
BLOGGERS UNITE: MAR ROXAS FOR PRESIDENT
With gas running on empty, Mar suffers the same fate of Raul Roco, the front runner who never made it in the finish line. Local officials are sucker for logistics. Just imply that funds are the way, and they are on their way out. Filipinos look in awe at men oozing with money. Look at Mark Jimenez or Danding Cojuangco or Bong Pineda.
The trouble with Mar is he has scruples. And that incidentally is what we need after an amoral chief executive. His late father Gerry Roxas would have been a fine president. But in 1965 his political career reached a hump and got stalled when he was clobbered by Fernando Lopez in the vice presidential race. The Lopezes and the Roxases are Ilonggos and come from the propertied class, except that the Lopezes are industrialists. The Aranetas did not go for broke in that political contest. Had Gerry Roxas become Vice President in 1965, President Marcos had a formidable opponent in 1969, and martial law remained an academic discussion.
As local media recede in the background fearing the boycott of the giant drug makers, losing in the process billions in commercial revenues, it becomes the solemn duty of the bloggers to come to the forefront. Looking at bare statistics, if only about 10% of our people are deprived of cheap medicine annually, we consign them to mortality if not disability. 8M people dying or getting sick is no laughing matter. Instead of just pointing out what is wrong with our political system or how stupid the candidates are, or just going thru the electoral process catch-as-catch-can, let us tell our people who to root and of course vote for in the next elections.
I am willing to carry Mar Roxas on my shoulder 24/7. Up to Mendiola and Malacanang.
FILLET QUEZON
NOW IT CAN BE TOLD
It was near the end of his term in 1998 when then Congressman Bobby Tanada introduced the bill proposing the division of Quezon. That came in the heels of his parting of ways with his congressional seatmate and gubernatorial candidate in 1998, Willie Enverga. Bobby Tanada was heard saying he would support Enverga in the latter’s quest for the governorship, not only because they were apparently distant cousins on the Ebarle side in Lucena, but also because the latter was mahinhin and mahiyain. Bobby thought he found his soul mate in the person of the ex-governor. It was the beginning of what everybody thought was a robust political alliance. In fact, a grandson of Bobby Tanada was the ring bearer when the now congressman of the 1st district, Mark Enverga, was married at St. James the Great in Alabang.
The elder Tanada came all out in support of Enverga in 1998 against the onslaught of the well-oiled machines of David Emralino of the LDP and Lakas standard bearer Agnes Devanadera. Enverga was buried by Devanadera in the avalanche of votes in the 1st district while in his hometown Mauban by at least 9,000 votes. Emralino prevailed in the 2nd district, while the late Benny Marquez ruled in his own 3rd district. The 4th, where Bobby Tanada reigned supreme, rallied Enverga to the provincial capitol with a measly margin off Devanadera. Conceding defeat, the latter declared that at least “moral victory” was hers. Upon hearing the declaration, Enverga instructed his operators to cease manipulating the votes in Pagbilao.
It was a surprise therefore when Tanada and the ex-governor had a falling out somewhere in September, 2000. Apparently the Tanadas were imposing on Enverga on how to conduct the campaign in 2001 when Bobby was running as senator while his son, Erin, as congressman. Both sorely lost in those elections. The Tanadas were still engaged in idea that Enverga was neck-deep in debt with them. Zeny tanada could not believe what she saw from a lackey’s footage showing the presence of Manny Portes, a known aide of Enverga orchestrating the political rally of Lu Yumul in Atimonan. She tried to call Grace Enverga in her cell phone that just kept on ringing.
Right after the elections in In the elections of 2001, Enverga openly rooted and financed the fledgling congressional candidacy of Lu Yumul. The Tanadas were riding on the crest of their perceived popularity when Bobby Tanada was a member of the panel of prosecutors from the House of Villar in the impeachment case against President Erap Estrada, the then Speaker Manny Villar cleverly bound over to the Senate right after his invocation. Bobby, and his handlers, the chief of whom was the much lamented Chit Asis, thought that the efforts of the Tanadas in kicking out Erap would be rewarded handsomely by Quezon electorate by crowning the father and son the coveted positions. Enverga was already nursing hard feelings against the father and son whose swagger as the monarchs of Quezon offended the royal blood of Mauban.
FAIR-WHEATHER FRIEND
To those who know Enverga, it did not come as a surprise when he turned his back from his benefactor. He has the uncanny talent of using people at the right time and at the right place. He is obsessed with the idea of being the political kingpin of Quezon. Or the last man standing. He brags about his 100% batting average. No loss in six elections since 1988.
His first foray into dynasty building was in 1992. Unfortunately his sister Jasmin was resoundingly trounced by the late Jun Punzalan. He was heard boasting to his subjects in the University Site that his magic remains when his son, Mark, was overwhelmingly elected as congressman of the 1st district in the last elections, waylaying veterans Ely Pasamba and his inaanak, Mauban Mayor Dingdong Llamas. What few know was the fact that the entire resources of the province in the last year of the wily governor were poured in his son’s district. Two weeks after the elections in May, 2007, Enverga thru his point man Vice-Governor-elect Kelly Portes approved a quick supplemental budget without committee insight worth P145M. The former Vice Governor Jayjay Suarez wanted to know the details of the allotment. He was not dignified an answer. What the ex-governor does not know is that there is now an ongoing documentation that 90% of the appropriations were not delivered.
P410M FROM ERAP IN 1999
It looked like Enverga had already paid his political debts to the Tanadas when he parlayed a fourth of the P410M presidential pork to Chit Asis, its fate was never known.
In February, 1999, Erap released to the provincial governor of Quezon P410M in discretionary fund. The wheel-chair bound governor filleted the funds into three, one-fourth went to the third district, and another fourth was favored to the 4th district. Half of the funds or P205M was used exclusively by Enverga to unreported projects. That money could have concreted at least 41 kilometers of roads. That could have cemented the Tayabas-Mauban road and assuaged his kababayans of their generational distress as early as the 1900s. Reports show that the money was diverted to regravelling of unknown municipal roads and alleged deliveries of selected barrows to far-flung barangays. Then congressmen Raffy Nantes and the late Marcial Jun Punzalan of the 1st and 2nd districts were famished of the funds by the ex-governor.
Erap knew that Tanada was a beneficiary of the money. It was simply beyond the grasp of the ex-president why Tanada was at the forefront of his impeachment. Reports reached Erap that there was no proper accounting of the funds handled by Chit Asis. It was Enverga who was feeding Erap of information. Walang utang na loob, ika. Danny Suarez on the other hand was coy and ambivalent. For that Erap and Suarez remain in good stead.
ERAP SCORNED
With the falling out, Erap unleashed his fury against the Tanadas in 2001. He coursed millions of cold cash thru Enverga’s minions for Yumul’s war chest other than the short term assist of the ex-governor thru his confidante, Manny Portes. A gofer of Ronnie Puno now based in Alabat was heard saying that after her victory, Yumul was not heard since. The Iglesia Ni Cristo went all out with Yumul who was eventually sworn in as the second legislator who hailed from the town of Lopez, the first being the late General Gaudencio V. Vera in 1949-53. The Tanadas nursed their own first defeat and went home to Makati to hibernate until 2004.
To them Enverga was a marked man.
GMA STUMPED
Despite the substantial support let loose by GMA to the young Tanada, it was no assurance that he bought his loyalty. After warming his seat, Erin went all out calling for the impeachment of the President, not only once but twice. For GMA, it was the height of treason. The Tanadas could not be appeased. They have attitude problem. On the other hand, the Tanadas believe that they are only true to themselves or their family brand known as mavericks or patriots or nationalists. Yet their track records speak otherwise. A former lady supporter from Sabang Dos in Calauag, itemized the sins of the Tanadas. According to her the elder Tanada is a corporate officer of Pet Plans that caused untold misery to thousands of parents who invested in pre-need educational plans for their children. She adds that he serves as counsel to Meralco who positioned itself as nothing but pure business in imposing unexplained rates increases to millions of consumers. Lastly she adds that Bobby Tanada ignored the pleas of the labor union for additional compensation and other reasonable working conditions in Universal Motors where the former senator is an officer-director. One contractor could not believe that the old man allowed the demands of his chief of staff when he was a 2-term congressman. To most therefore there is much hypocrisy somewhere.
GETTING EVEN WITH ENVERGA
Before the House adjournment in 2001, Tanada and Enverga were thick in bad blood, the former authored the bill dividing Quezon. Tanada’s timetable however lapsed. He was confident that then Congresmen Nantes and Suarez would pick up the bill and shepherd it to approval. It was archived however because the two were already eying the governorship come 2007.
In the presidential elections in 2004, Erin Tanada ran alongside GMA. His campaign was fully fueled by Malacanang. With enough campaign logistics from their benefactress, the Tanadas were spared of disposing their recuerdos. The young Tanada won hands down against the bet fielded by Danding.
But Erin has a long memory. Enverga is still the governor in 2004 until 2007. By slicing Quezon into two, the young Tanada believes that goes with the funds which is Enverga’s principal obsession. By legislating two Quezons, Erin slashes half of the SOP of his nemesis.
This situation illustrates the exercise of naked power for its sake. Nothing salutary is achieved. This is nothing but an ego trip of a city bred legislator out in glorifying an alleged ancestral significance. In the same manner when the Bondoc Peninsula circumferential road was named after an obscure resident after an enabling law was sprung on us. Indeed Congress in its willy-nilly existence has gone berserk.
ERIN REINTRODUCES THE BILL
In July, 2004, with his seat still unused, Erin lost no time in reintroducing the bill and sought the help of his co-sponsors. The bill was not accompanied by intelligent or incisive research and factual basis supportive of its approval.
There were no recorded public hearings in the congressional committee tasked in collating data or in the province itself nor were there any intelligent discussions or consensus or position papers filed from concerned sectors or organizations from the affected local government unit. While the three congressmen, Nantes , Alcala and Suarez inked the bill, it was nothing but a sorry expression of solidarity. Ironically, now a fait accompli stares us in the face.
IT WAS A PERSONAL THING
It was after all a personal thing. The Quezon division is nothing but a trivial power play. The young Tanada was quoted as asking, “anong feedback sa bill, nagkakagulo sila ano?” He said the law is good as approved. Few will turn out in the plebiscite, and the uninformed will just say yes.
I remember one old lady in Kinatakutan in Tagkawayan who remarked, “kapag ang mga kalabaw ay nagsu-agan, ang mga bul-o’y maa-apakan.”
That seems to be our fate. We are left to our own devices and it is up to us to rearrange our lives.
It was near the end of his term in 1998 when then Congressman Bobby Tanada introduced the bill proposing the division of Quezon. That came in the heels of his parting of ways with his congressional seatmate and gubernatorial candidate in 1998, Willie Enverga. Bobby Tanada was heard saying he would support Enverga in the latter’s quest for the governorship, not only because they were apparently distant cousins on the Ebarle side in Lucena, but also because the latter was mahinhin and mahiyain. Bobby thought he found his soul mate in the person of the ex-governor. It was the beginning of what everybody thought was a robust political alliance. In fact, a grandson of Bobby Tanada was the ring bearer when the now congressman of the 1st district, Mark Enverga, was married at St. James the Great in Alabang.
The elder Tanada came all out in support of Enverga in 1998 against the onslaught of the well-oiled machines of David Emralino of the LDP and Lakas standard bearer Agnes Devanadera. Enverga was buried by Devanadera in the avalanche of votes in the 1st district while in his hometown Mauban by at least 9,000 votes. Emralino prevailed in the 2nd district, while the late Benny Marquez ruled in his own 3rd district. The 4th, where Bobby Tanada reigned supreme, rallied Enverga to the provincial capitol with a measly margin off Devanadera. Conceding defeat, the latter declared that at least “moral victory” was hers. Upon hearing the declaration, Enverga instructed his operators to cease manipulating the votes in Pagbilao.
THE FALLING OUT
It was a surprise therefore when Tanada and the ex-governor had a falling out somewhere in September, 2000. Apparently the Tanadas were imposing on Enverga on how to conduct the campaign in 2001 when Bobby was running as senator while his son, Erin, as congressman. Both sorely lost in those elections. The Tanadas were still engaged in idea that Enverga was neck-deep in debt with them. Zeny tanada could not believe what she saw from a lackey’s footage showing the presence of Manny Portes, a known aide of Enverga orchestrating the political rally of Lu Yumul in Atimonan. She tried to call Grace Enverga in her cell phone that just kept on ringing.
Right after the elections in In the elections of 2001, Enverga openly rooted and financed the fledgling congressional candidacy of Lu Yumul. The Tanadas were riding on the crest of their perceived popularity when Bobby Tanada was a member of the panel of prosecutors from the House of Villar in the impeachment case against President Erap Estrada, the then Speaker Manny Villar cleverly bound over to the Senate right after his invocation. Bobby, and his handlers, the chief of whom was the much lamented Chit Asis, thought that the efforts of the Tanadas in kicking out Erap would be rewarded handsomely by Quezon electorate by crowning the father and son the coveted positions. Enverga was already nursing hard feelings against the father and son whose swagger as the monarchs of Quezon offended the royal blood of Mauban.
FAIR-WHEATHER FRIEND
To those who know Enverga, it did not come as a surprise when he turned his back from his benefactor. He has the uncanny talent of using people at the right time and at the right place. He is obsessed with the idea of being the political kingpin of Quezon. Or the last man standing. He brags about his 100% batting average. No loss in six elections since 1988.
His first foray into dynasty building was in 1992. Unfortunately his sister Jasmin was resoundingly trounced by the late Jun Punzalan. He was heard boasting to his subjects in the University Site that his magic remains when his son, Mark, was overwhelmingly elected as congressman of the 1st district in the last elections, waylaying veterans Ely Pasamba and his inaanak, Mauban Mayor Dingdong Llamas. What few know was the fact that the entire resources of the province in the last year of the wily governor were poured in his son’s district. Two weeks after the elections in May, 2007, Enverga thru his point man Vice-Governor-elect Kelly Portes approved a quick supplemental budget without committee insight worth P145M. The former Vice Governor Jayjay Suarez wanted to know the details of the allotment. He was not dignified an answer. What the ex-governor does not know is that there is now an ongoing documentation that 90% of the appropriations were not delivered.
P410M FROM ERAP IN 1999
It looked like Enverga had already paid his political debts to the Tanadas when he parlayed a fourth of the P410M presidential pork to Chit Asis, its fate was never known.
In February, 1999, Erap released to the provincial governor of Quezon P410M in discretionary fund. The wheel-chair bound governor filleted the funds into three, one-fourth went to the third district, and another fourth was favored to the 4th district. Half of the funds or P205M was used exclusively by Enverga to unreported projects. That money could have concreted at least 41 kilometers of roads. That could have cemented the Tayabas-Mauban road and assuaged his kababayans of their generational distress as early as the 1900s. Reports show that the money was diverted to regravelling of unknown municipal roads and alleged deliveries of selected barrows to far-flung barangays. Then congressmen Raffy Nantes and the late Marcial Jun Punzalan of the 1st and 2nd districts were famished of the funds by the ex-governor.
Erap knew that Tanada was a beneficiary of the money. It was simply beyond the grasp of the ex-president why Tanada was at the forefront of his impeachment. Reports reached Erap that there was no proper accounting of the funds handled by Chit Asis. It was Enverga who was feeding Erap of information. Walang utang na loob, ika. Danny Suarez on the other hand was coy and ambivalent. For that Erap and Suarez remain in good stead.
ERAP SCORNED
With the falling out, Erap unleashed his fury against the Tanadas in 2001. He coursed millions of cold cash thru Enverga’s minions for Yumul’s war chest other than the short term assist of the ex-governor thru his confidante, Manny Portes. A gofer of Ronnie Puno now based in Alabat was heard saying that after her victory, Yumul was not heard since. The Iglesia Ni Cristo went all out with Yumul who was eventually sworn in as the second legislator who hailed from the town of Lopez, the first being the late General Gaudencio V. Vera in 1949-53. The Tanadas nursed their own first defeat and went home to Makati to hibernate until 2004.
To them Enverga was a marked man.
GMA STUMPED
Despite the substantial support let loose by GMA to the young Tanada, it was no assurance that he bought his loyalty. After warming his seat, Erin went all out calling for the impeachment of the President, not only once but twice. For GMA, it was the height of treason. The Tanadas could not be appeased. They have attitude problem. On the other hand, the Tanadas believe that they are only true to themselves or their family brand known as mavericks or patriots or nationalists. Yet their track records speak otherwise. A former lady supporter from Sabang Dos in Calauag, itemized the sins of the Tanadas. According to her the elder Tanada is a corporate officer of Pet Plans that caused untold misery to thousands of parents who invested in pre-need educational plans for their children. She adds that he serves as counsel to Meralco who positioned itself as nothing but pure business in imposing unexplained rates increases to millions of consumers. Lastly she adds that Bobby Tanada ignored the pleas of the labor union for additional compensation and other reasonable working conditions in Universal Motors where the former senator is an officer-director. One contractor could not believe that the old man allowed the demands of his chief of staff when he was a 2-term congressman. To most therefore there is much hypocrisy somewhere.
GETTING EVEN WITH ENVERGA
Before the House adjournment in 2001, Tanada and Enverga were thick in bad blood, the former authored the bill dividing Quezon. Tanada’s timetable however lapsed. He was confident that then Congresmen Nantes and Suarez would pick up the bill and shepherd it to approval. It was archived however because the two were already eying the governorship come 2007.
In the presidential elections in 2004, Erin Tanada ran alongside GMA. His campaign was fully fueled by Malacanang. With enough campaign logistics from their benefactress, the Tanadas were spared of disposing their recuerdos. The young Tanada won hands down against the bet fielded by Danding.
But Erin has a long memory. Enverga is still the governor in 2004 until 2007. By slicing Quezon into two, the young Tanada believes that goes with the funds which is Enverga’s principal obsession. By legislating two Quezons, Erin slashes half of the SOP of his nemesis.
This situation illustrates the exercise of naked power for its sake. Nothing salutary is achieved. This is nothing but an ego trip of a city bred legislator out in glorifying an alleged ancestral significance. In the same manner when the Bondoc Peninsula circumferential road was named after an obscure resident after an enabling law was sprung on us. Indeed Congress in its willy-nilly existence has gone berserk.
ERIN REINTRODUCES THE BILL
In July, 2004, with his seat still unused, Erin lost no time in reintroducing the bill and sought the help of his co-sponsors. The bill was not accompanied by intelligent or incisive research and factual basis supportive of its approval.
There were no recorded public hearings in the congressional committee tasked in collating data or in the province itself nor were there any intelligent discussions or consensus or position papers filed from concerned sectors or organizations from the affected local government unit. While the three congressmen, Nantes , Alcala and Suarez inked the bill, it was nothing but a sorry expression of solidarity. Ironically, now a fait accompli stares us in the face.
IT WAS A PERSONAL THING
It was after all a personal thing. The Quezon division is nothing but a trivial power play. The young Tanada was quoted as asking, “anong feedback sa bill, nagkakagulo sila ano?” He said the law is good as approved. Few will turn out in the plebiscite, and the uninformed will just say yes.
I remember one old lady in Kinatakutan in Tagkawayan who remarked, “kapag ang mga kalabaw ay nagsu-agan, ang mga bul-o’y maa-apakan.”
That seems to be our fate. We are left to our own devices and it is up to us to rearrange our lives.
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