A Trap

The hands of de-escalation experts are now being felt in the light of the ZTE deal. A concerted effort to de-escalate the continuing and increasing momentum of groups opposing and asking for Arroyo's head through the media, mass organisations and established institutions is being implemented involving the highest down to the lowest rungs of the regime. Millions of pesos are being spent ostensibly to control and take charge of the situation. Some media personalities have been compromised. Traps are being laid out to diffuse the boiling situation.

One such trap is the highly publicized CBCP emergency meeting. Operators of the palace allowed the media to heighten public expectation for a stronger CBCP statement, knowing fully well that the CBCP is a traditional institution and will not issue a stronger political statement other than the call for communal action. Historically, the CBCP has been known to be conservative, even as far back as the time of Marcos. That's the reason why Manila's Cardinal Sin stood up in the first place because the CBCP can't commit itself to oppose Marcos.

So, those groups who still peg their support for an ouster call through a Church leadership should not be dismayed. Rather, read Aries Rufo's article at NewsBreak which tells you why the CBCP can't really issue a denouncement of Arroyo's regime.

Groups should highlight instead the growing mass movement for enlightenment among the citizenry. That, in the absence of a strong singular leadership, groups should still express their sentiments against this creeping conjugal greed. I believe it would take a while for this thing to blossom into "people power" but, like I said in my previous blogs, time is not on the side of those who favor Arroyo's head. 2009 is just around the corner and if groups fail to maintain momentum and gain sufficient numbers of persuasion, then, it would be all over.

Thus said, it is highly important that groups work for the massing up of at least 100,000 people come Friday. Why? Because it would show that despite these concerted efforts at derailing their initiatives, the people still went there to express their anger against Arroyo.

Tomorrow's Friday mass rally should be a shining moment for Philippine history. It should be the fullest expression of collective action by a people fed up with the lies, with the corruption, with graft and the filth of the human soul.