This is how the opposition politicians think: They seek to impeach Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr., one of the most trusted personalities in the public eye, and then want to nominate for the Presidency Fernando Poe, Jr., a popular actor but without any experience or intellect to merit his holding the highest office in the land.
To describe that as stupid would be an understatement. It’s not even political savvy. It’s pure, unadulterated lust for power, the country be damned!
The man behind the impeachment is Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, who has a lot to gain by the ouster of Davide, having a couple of cases under review by the Supreme Court. Yet, more than this, the impeachment is another ploy to embarrass the incumbent President. Cojuangco is a king-maker, a staunch supporter of Joseph Estrada, not because he believes in the unbelievable ex-actor, but because he’s also a puppet master.
He also has a lot of undeclared moolah, which is probably why 88 congressmen suddenly found cause to affix their signatures to impeach the Chief Justice. Some congressmen, however, signified their intent to withdraw their signatures. Perhaps the bidding hasn’t ended yet.
Cojuangco is also behind the move to nominate Poe as standard bearer of the United Opposition. His bedmate in this is Johnny Ponce-Enrile. Both Cojuangco and Enrile benefitted much from their association with the late Ferdinand Marcos. It was rumored that Cojuangco urged Marcos to use violent force to dispel the uprising that was building up on EDSA. Thank heavens Marcos had a conscience.
Enrile, on the other hand, became a hero of that uprising because he defiantly holed up in police headquarters along with Fidel Ramos, which sparked the world-famous “People Power.” In reality, Enrile had no choice because his own grab for power through his lackey, one Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, was discovered.
Watch these two in the coming months and you’ll understand politics Philippine-style. Yet, they are not the problem plaguing the country, neither is it corruption, that favorite scapegoat (now, by the way, the battle cry of another distrustful politico, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson).
The problem lies within the Filipino. On average he’s one smart individual, but yet unable to tame his emotions. They get the better of him. And when you allow cunning snake-charmers such as Cojuangco and Enrile to get into the Filipino’s psyche, that spells disaster.
