Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Banking on stupidity and forgetfulness

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.—George W. Bush, Washington, DC, March 31, 2001

LAST week a rheumy-eyed, wheezing and bulol (stuttering) Joseph Ejercito “Erap” Estrada swore to his loyalists that he was going to run for president again—for their sake, of course.

“This is the last performance of my life and I will not fail you…. Sumusumpa ako, si Joseph Ejercito Estrada, na lalahok ako sa susunod na halalan upang muling maglingkod sa masang Pilipino bilang pangulo ng Pilipinas [I, Joseph Ejercito Estrada, swear to run in the coming elections so I can serve the masses again, as president of the Philippines.]”

Estrada spoke for about 40 minutes. Struggled was more like it. He looked weak, weary and unfocused. I was afraid he would not finish his speech.

But Erap, 72, debunked concerns about his health, claiming he felt like he was only 40. Well, he looks 40 going on 90 if you ask me.

Is there no one among his different families, no one among his friends, cohorts and political advisers who will dare tell him the stress of campaigning could kill him?

Erap played the victim at the Tondo rally.

“I was demonized then unconstitutionally removed.”

He claimed he did not commit any crime.

“If I had sinned against you, I would not have the nerve to stand before you.”

The crowd believed him, so I was reminded of a quip by the American social commentator Will Rogers.

“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.”

Erap’s hopes for winning the presidency are riding on those with burnt genitalia.

His loyal followers don’t care that he turned Malacañang into jueteng (illegal numbers game) central, that he earned a commission for arm-twisting the Government Service Insurance System and the Social Security System into buying stocks in a company owned by his crony, that he opened a dummy bank account for a “friend.” They place more value on his dole-outs.

“He has never forgotten us. Even when he was in jail, his wife and children still sent us canned goods,” said a slum dweller to a reporter from a daily paper.

Erap’s fans won’t accept any suggestion that he screwed up. They won’t admit that if he had only lived up to the promise he made in his inaugural speech—that his presidency would be “the greatest performance” of his life—there would have been no impeachment trial, no Edsa Dos, no Gloria Arroyo, no Garci and everything else that followed.

They don’t realize they have Erap to thank for Gloria Arroyo. And they may be thanking him again in the near future.

If Erap is allowed to run, it will be a precedent for Gloria Arroyo to run again in 2016. Maybe that’s why Malacañang strategists said they were not going to file a disqualification case against Erap.

The Palace, like Erap, banks on a public that never learns, that easily forgets what it’s like to pee on an electric fence.

UPDATE
In an interesting turn of events, the Palace now supports the idea that Erap should be allowed to run.

Cerge Remonde said, "I’d rather not ... be technical about the candidacy of former President Estrada. I would adhere to the principle of salus populi suprema lex—the voice of the people is the supreme law,”

Is that proof the Palace really wants Erap to set a precedent for Gloria Arroyo to make a comeback or what?
Source: Life in Gloria's Enchanted Kingdom

10 comments:

Jesusa Bernardo said...

Speaking of stupidity, MB, wonder who's more 'stupid':

The Stupidity of the EDSA 2 "People Power" Gullibles Relived

Deany Bocobo said...

The issue of term limits is fundamental to Constitutional Democracy. Forget Erap! Forget GMA! and the issue still stands.

I've not read anything you've written that shows you care or know about this issue. To you it's all about Erap and Gloria.

That is a very limited position upon which to stand.

I think like many others in Civil Society, you actually fear that Erap will prove you wrong in your judgment of him, and your disdain for the Filipino People, of which this article drips.

Joselito Basilio said...

Cerge’s invocation of the legal maxim ‘the voice of the people is the supreme law’ is, in my view, misplaced.

The intention of the framers of the 1987 Constitution was to bar an elected president from seeking any reelection.

The 1987 Constitution was ratified by around 17 million Filipinos whose voice is the supreme law.

Will the voice of the people voting for Erap get a vote in 2010 election louder than the voice of the people who ratified, among others, the prohibition against any presidential reelection?

Jesusa Bernardo said...

"They don’t realize they have Erap to thank for Gloria Arroyo. And they may be thanking him again in the near future."

The stupid Edsa 2 gullibles should be castigated for deposing the man the masses (& other segments of Philippine society) elected and for installing Gloria, but the Illegitimate "President" is also the fault of the masses? Isn't that rather ridiculous?

@ Joselito

You dare invoke the spirit of the 1987 Constitution, the very sacred legal framework trampled upon during Erap's ouster by the evil "civil society"? Is that a joke?

That's as hilarious as the "constructive resignation" SC ruling used just to get around the clear conditions set forth by the 1987 Charter as to when the President can be replaced:

"Section 8. In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall become the President to serve the unexpired term."

Those coup plotters should say "Mea Culpa" at the very least. No, they should be tried for sedition!

Deany Bocobo said...

Joselito,
Not true! The rollo of the Concom's discussion was very clear, as confirmed by several participants lately that it was "incumbents advantage" they were trying to prevent the use of, and therefore it is immediate re-election that they banned. Look up the remarks of Dean Amado Valdez recently. I came to the same conclusion from a purely linguistic construction of the appropriate provision. Now even the Palace agrees!

manuelbuencamino said...

DJB,

"your disdain for the Filipino People,"

I'm amazed you mistake Erap's loyalists for the Filipino People.

Are Erap's loyalists the only ones considered as the Filipino people?


JB,

"Speaking of stupidity, MB, wonder who's more 'stupid':"

I think it's stupid to allow a thief back into your house/

Deany Bocobo said...

MB,
The Filipino People may be stupid to you, but they have NOT forgotten. Of THAT you may be sure!

manuelbuencamino said...

DJB,

Like I said, I'm amazed you identify Erap loyalists as the Filipino People as if those against him do not deserve to Filipinos as well.

Those who disdain Erap are also the Filipino People and there are more of them than the stupid few who continue to buy the horseshit peddled by Jose Velarde the jueteng patron and stock market manipulator.

And before you accuse me of being a fool of GMA and Edsa 2, let me remind you I did not join edsa2 and I was against GMA from day one and I never bought the constructive resignation bit.

I am against Erap because I am against crooks. That's also why I don't like your friend JPE who heads Erap's slate.

Joselito Basilio said...

Dean, there’s no clear majority school of thought on this constitutional issue. Unless and until this is squarely addressed by the Supreme Court with a definitive ruling, any opinion on the issue of presidential reelection does not have a controlling effect.

On 2 February 1987, 76% of the Filipino voters ratified the 1987 Constitution whose voice is the supreme law. According to some drafters of the Constitution, the term ‘immediate’ before ‘reelection’ in the original draft was finally replaced by ‘any’ to reflect the intention to bar an elected president for any reelection.

The voice of the people in 1987 cannot just be simply overruled by the voice of the people in 2010 until Erap wins and surpasses the above 76%.

Jesusa Bernardo said...

I think it's stupid to allow a thief back into your house/

MB, I think what's more stupid is to believe the judgment of a court of the powergrabbing Illegitimate adjudged to be the "Most Corrupt President in Philippine History"--someone who has instituted the NON-observance of delicadeza in public service and replaced it with an immoral reward system for those willing to be corrupted.