Is the Philippines so bereft of issues that President Gloria Arroyo’s recent change of mind about running generates so much wasted verbal onslaught?

So what if she changed her mind? So what if she reneged on her Rizal Day statement not to run. She felt then she didn’t want to. Now she feels she has to. Let the Filipinos decide whether she’s fit to be placed back in the Presidency.

And the opposition doesn’t have to point out what her faults are. The opposition stalwarts are not exactly immaculately clean either. In fact, they are in a frenzy as to who their standard bearer will be in the coming Presidential elections.

One, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, will run no matter who his colleagues will choose. So, it’s either they go along with him or choose some other lackey like (horrors!) actor Fernando Poe, Jr. I suspect the opposition will be divided come the official election season. This is probably the reason why Gloria decided to run. A divided opposition has little chance of winning.

This is also why we had the recent blotched military coup that only managed to have Filipinas drooling over the young officers who led that misadventure. It’s “throw out Gloria now” or get something concrete by election time, the former, apparently, a less expensive exercise.

In the coming week it will be relatively quiet as U.S. Emperor George W. Bush comes waltzing into town except for the perennially noisy cause-oriented groups who are publicity hounds. After that, the country will be thrown in the biggest circus in town called the “Presidential Elections.”

Unless Filipinos wise up and elect the one who has the right stuff morally, spiritually and intelligently, we might as well create a new national budget disbursement for corruption. And it definitely must be headed by a relative.