Chinese stopped the MOA-BJE signing?

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The Cycle of Shame

Have’nt you noticed that everytime this administration’s lackeys escape the long arm of the law, they become more brazen in stealing our money? From 1997 up to 2008, the total money which went out of the public coffers and lined the pockets of corrupt and greedy men has cost us more than 67 billion pesos already–enough to subsidize the daily nutritional requirements of Metro Manila’s poor for 3 years. The spike of graft cases occurred just lately, with government deals reaching over the multi-billion peso mark.

Recently, we saw how multi-million dollar projects turn into billion dollars overnight. One example is the Northrail project. We saw how government officials tried to feast on a multi-million telecommunications which only went sour when the public turn vigilante.

Now, our government is opening up the mining and oil fields sector in hopes of getting some much-needed revenues. It’s actually good if the revenues from these projects go straight to us. In all likelihood, some of it may fatten the bank accounts of a few.

The reason being, most of our government officials have a misplaced concept of accountability. High government officials think that they owe their positions to the appointing power instead of the public. They don’t recognize that those monies which have been entrusted to them belong to the people. Yes, we have checks and balances, like the vaulted Commission on Audit. And yes, we have prosecuting arms that investigate and file cases. Yet, for all of these, we find not a single big one, the mastermind, prosecuted for graft and corruption.

So, the impression that these thieves have is, they can get away with murder for as long as (1) they enjoy the trust of the real powers behind the seat of power and (2) the higher they are in the totem pole, the least likely they’ll be prosecuted and put behind bars. Its understandable, given the laxity our agencies put behind anti-graft campaigns.

So, expect more anomalous deals. Brace for more multi-billion peso ones since elections is just around the corner. These deals are out to fatten the pockets of a privileged few just to keep them happy and contented. Anyway, it’s just a simple paper bearing the Seal of the Highest Office that they keep as license for fiduciary murder.

And we go to the very core of this issue–the perpetuation of this thievery by a patronage-oriented leadership. For as long as we have an administration that is being held hostage by its own savage and greedy officials, graft cases will keep on rising. Look–how many of our leaders would benefit from an impeachment complaint? Most, I guess. Those who’ll support will have the promises of rewards. Those who’ll not, will always have the license to continue what they already started. This cycle of thievery of the highest order has already been there. And it will continue unabated for as long as these people in government fail to recognize that there are dire consequences in life, liberty and property should they misplace their accountabilities. For now, we only have God to go to seek comfort whenever we hear of another government official’s guffaws all the way to the bank.

Lose hope on the new complaint? Many times no! It's a start of a New Morning

Former Comelec Chair Christian Monsod urges everyone not to give up trying to oust Gloria through "legal and constitutional means". This came after the prospect of a new impeachment complaint hangs in the balance. Malacanang has just announced that the new complaint will not see the light of day, since Gloria still has the numbers to neutralize any attempt. Monsod said that people should not lose hope on constitutional means.

Sir, this is the third one already and the more we procrastinate on ousting this usurper, the worse we become. Look, because of the failure of any constitutional attempts (and this is the third time), we see our government turning from bad to worse. Everytime we rely on constitutional means, and every time the minions of Gloria win, we see not the strengthening of democracy but the further slide towards ignominy and destruction. Every failure civil society and the People gets from this fruitless exercise of democracy, Gloria benefits. It emboldens the illegal occupant of Malacanang. Have'nt you notice that big-time operators close to the Palace do more damaging things, like entering into bigger and more illegal deals than before? Graft cases are churning into the billion peso mark. The more we fail in these constitutional exercises, the bolder these thieves become. Mas nananakawan tayo pagka laging constitutional ang banat natin sa mga magnanakaw na tulad ni Gloria (The more we are robbed whenever we use legal and constitutional means against thieves like Gloria).

Do we punish thieves with just a slap on the face or a tip on their shoulders? Do we just file cases against them and let the courts do their thing? Look, these thieves have billions in their bank accounts. They can pay off any unself-respecting one out there. Do we punish killers by just telling them you're wrong in killing those people and let the courts judge them? And do we let those who robbed us of our hard-earn monies by giving them the honorable way out?

IN the case of Gloria and her gang of evil misfits, it is time for us to teach them a lesson and mete a graver punishment than letting them get off the hook through impeachment.

It is time to finally put an end to this regime. We must not look anymore on 2010 if we can do the creation of a New government now. I don't agree on Monsod's statement that every time we resort to People Power revolts, our democracy weakens. Quite the contrary, the government we built under Cory Aquino was a strong one. From negative growth, that government managed to animate the economy and put it on a positive growth.

We can do the same thing now. We can create a new government out of this regime. We can oust and jail these thieves in government. We can dispense justice. We can still spark hope in the hearts of everyone if we just open our minds to the possibility that maybe, this time, God is truly sending us a definitive message and that is, God does'nt want Gloria to go down thru impeachment. Maybe God wants to teach Gloria and her kind a lesson. And that lesson could be that God's Justice is the People's Justice. Crime, graft and corruption and evil ways mete a more sterner and more severe punishment than impeachment. And that, my friends, could be imprisonment or perpetual exile.

JDV's Protracted War

Former Speaker Joe de Venecia yesterday revealed that a golf game changed the complexion of the ZTE deal. He says that Gloria changed her mind when she played golf with the ZTE officials over at Shenzhen. He then cut himself short, saying that he needs to recover from his illness first before he can reveal other "juicy" details of the cancelled deal.

JDV is sick. JDV needs to recover. JDV is preparing for an all-out, long-drawn out war against his former principal, the lady beside the murky river. He wants to be physically fit before he cross swords with the devil infant.

Will he succeed in finally taking down this regime? Will groups traditionally opposed to Gloria finally sit down together and rally behind JDV?

Question---will this protracted war reach what it intends to achieve--strategic victory over the forces of evil? Will it finally put an end to a regime's lust for more power? Have these groups put their heads together and come up with a solution to the problem that is Gloria's mafia gang?

Let me propound some suggestions since this is the third jab at Gloria regarding this deal:

1. Groups need to reconsolidate their forces, especially those responsible for the Youth sector. They need to train and indoctrinate these groups to follow ONE specific agenda for change.
2. Groups need one media coordinating body that will manage info flow. Campaign should be uni-directional. Media cooperation should be paramount concern.
3. Groups need to solicit the support of traditional political groups such as the Liberal Party and business groups to strengthen the movement for change. Calls should not be change in 2010, rather, it should be change now to reflect the urgency of the call.

People are looking out for solutions. They already know that this regime seems to be promoting problems rather than solutions. Cosmetic changes are surely not the order of the day. There is a need for real change initiated by enlightened individuals. Let the New Class, the Intellectual Enrepreneurs, lead this charge this time.

One and a half weeks to go

Its a good thing that groups are just giving Arroyo a week to answer all these allegations. Today, arguments were heard over the SC on what to do with the petition of former NEDA secretary Romulo Neri. It was a deliberation on the issue of lifting EO 464, which quarters, including the Vice President, has said that Gloria should lift for the public to hear the truth about the ZTE deal. I don't know what's the big deal about Neri's testimony since I believe, Neri already told everything there is before the Senate when he went there. But, considering how the palace and even the entire country is reacting, maybe, there's really something about what transpired between Neri and Arroyo that Neri's counsel even said that its "part of a state secret"

Bull.

A state secret involves national security. What's so serious about what Neri told Arroyo that they're both afraid on the possibility that the people will know about it. Everybody is urging Arroyo to allow Neri to testify. Malacanang, it seems, is starting to harden its position which is a BAD THING to do. Doing so at this point only worsens their situation. They are like creating a quick sand to sink themselves in.

In the next few days, I believe that Gloria will, definitely do the following things:

1. She will announce the lifting of EO 464 to prevent the CBCP from further joining the growing protest movement. That will give her administration a few more days to survive.

2. She will announce the suspension of controversial government officials involved in the ZTE scandal. That would contradict what the Palace announced today and yesterday, but, nonetheless, that would give her enough breathing space to prevent herself from totally being besieged.

3. She will announce new appointments in the Comelec, foremost of which, members of civil society, or one belonging to the Muslim sector.

I think the environment is being prepared for these pronouncements. Palace operators have allowed the people to hinge the search for truth with Neri, which is a tactical way of solving this issue. By concentrating all attention at Neri's probable testimony, the palace is effectively leading the public's attention away from Lozada and concentrate on Neri. I bet my bottom dollar that Neri's testimony will not amount to anything since it has been months since the controversy first began. I am sure that palace operators have already cleaned every filth there is about this deal.

On, by the way, groups should ask for the original copy of the ZTE deal. Since this time, no copy of the supposed controversial deal has been presented to the media. Why? The people have the right to know since its their money who'll finance the shebang anyway. There should be an active call from people for the palace to reveal the deal.

So, my friends, you just have to wait for one and a half weeks before we can finally put these things to rest. The big rally in UST might just be the last hurrah for Gloria. Or, it might also be the last say of all these groups opposing Arroyo. Let's wait and see.

Rejoinder:

By the way, that statement by Loren that she'll not support calls for the resignation of Arroyo because of the prospect of Noli assuming the presidency is pure idiocracy. It says so much about Loren. She, like Gloria, is hungry for power. Be cautious about the likes of Loren. She's a potential Gloria just waiting in the wings. I hope that she'll be marginalized so that no such breed would ascend the position of power.

A bawang revelation

After some dramatic incidents, Lozada finally appeared before the public, confirming earlier allegations made by Joey de Venecia. As it turned out, the revelations further dug former COMELEC chairman Abalos' grave. Lozada confirmed what Joey exposed at the Senate a few months ago, which led, as some say, to the ouster of his father a few days ago. What do we have to say about the alleged revelation?

Its a bawang revelation. Nothing of the c-4 kind of stuff. Why?

There's nothing new about what Lozada said, except to say that Abalos turned greedy. The reason why this project became so controversial and eventually resulted to its cancellation was the fact that Abalos wanted to go all out by himself. He became so greedy that he sacrificed the deal and his relations with the Arroyos. I expected something like what Charisa Ocampo did at the height of the Erap ouster movement where the former Equitable bank executive testified that she saw Erap signing as Jose Velarde a few feet away from her powdered face. Or something to that effect.

Here, Lozada simply narrated what Joey said before the Senate which Neri refused to reveal. Lozada actually absolved Neri and the First Gentleman of all doubt about the deal. He merely said that he met FG in a meeting and Abalos reportedly told him that the project is now okey.

So the tale shows that greediness did not pay off for Abalos and his group. The ending of this saga is very imminent. It shows how Abalos went greedy and wanted the pie all for himself.

We need more Lozadas to come out of the woodwork and expose not only the ZTE deal but other anomalous deals which this government is cooking up to the detriment of the Filipino people.

Disturbing signs for 2008: GMA Administration--Hard headed or just plain stupid?

ZTE to be re-bidded in 2008

Government has just announced that they will be re-bidding the NBN project (dubbed ZTE deal) to local telcos in 2008. I bet my bottom Sing dollars that the one who will get it will still use ZTE technology. What the public does'nt know is that the technology being used by most local telcos came from ZTE. ZTE has been in operation in the Philippines since 2000. It is the major supplier of telecommunications equipment to most local telcos.

What this government will do is still award the contract to a local telco with strong tieup with ZTE. And the end result will still be harmful to the pockets of the Filipino People.

PR Contract worth US$ 50 Million

Senator Mar Roxas has just exposed another anomaly this administration entered into---a US$ 50 million worth of PR contract. That's roughly P 2 billion guys. A US-based lobby group has been tapped to improve the image and reputation of this government before the eyes of the Americans. And for what? To justify the illegal occupation of Malacanan by the conjugal republican monarchy? Some years ago, Filipinos militated against the Venable deal which could have cost the People 50 million pesos. Now, its at it again, spending billions for image reputation management.

Exports to grow only 6 percent

While government continually harp on the economic gains so to speak of the government, they are neglecting an important sector which is the export sector. Analysts say that the export industry will only grow by 6percent which is truly depressing considering the important role it plays in every country's national development. The BSP said that by 2008 it will relax forex controls to ease the burden of volatile forex rates to the people. That's good news for exporters whom I believe is having their worst year to date. However, government should take care of this very important sector since export industries are the key to sustained economic growth, not just sporadic growth which we are experiencing today.

40 now, 45 next year

Forex experts are predicting that the peso will slide to its comfortable level of 45 by next year. So, for those speculators out there or for some who want to earn some quick buck from their dollars, its better to buy dollars now then wait for next year to convert it. You'll earn at least 5 pesos more for every peso you spent buying those green bucks.

Filipinos still optimistic, says surveys

For all of these things, Filipinos are still optimistic that Christmas will be good for them. I don't know about that. For all I know, prices of commodities have increased substantially since last week. People are feeling this. And I don't think that government is capable enough of explaining why people are not buying enough stuff for their noche buena feasts. A year ago, 2,000 pesos is a lot. Now, it's a pittance. I really don't know what to be thankful for except perhaps that we are still alive despite the horrendous performance of this government. And I don't want to thank Arroyo for that. I am thanking God for that. Don't tell me that I owe every shred of my existence to Arroyo. Doing so would be blasphemy. And a lie.

Jueteng Money to innoculate GMA--Money Trail

A source from Malacanang said that the monies given to governors and congressmen (more than 500 million) came from jueteng money. I could'nt believe it at first but after Department of Budget and Management Secretary Andaya denied that these monies came from the government treasury, I thought that this thing could be possible. Remember that classic video grab where these government officials came out of the palace flanking Manny Pacquiao, who was at the back of Manny and trailing both GMA and JDV? You guessed right--its Chavit Singson. And you know that Singson would say that the reason why he was there was he's Manny's link to the palace right? Well, there's more to that Singson visit to the palace than welcoming a boxer.

Who would give such a huge amount that palace factotums like Tonypet Albano and Poblador can just give "just like that."? Well, it could be jueteng money. It could have been given by a losing Kapampangan for governor, or a big-time Batangas jueteng lord cum kingpin or a Bicol-based silent operator?

Another wagging tongue shared this view--probably the monies came from the secret bank accounts of the Arroyos in the Swiss Alps. Remember that the First Golfer, err, First Gentleman went to Zurich during the height of the ZTE probe, right? If FG can go on a trip, ride an airplane, then he's as healthy as a bull to attend the ZTE Senate probe, yes? No, says his doctor. The stress might kill FG. But, he can ride an airplane, go to the banks with his alleged girl friend for what? FG's trip to Germany should be investigated thoroughly.

Or, it could be ZTE money, withdrawn by FG from abroad? Remember that ZTE allegedly gave 50 Million US dollars as "advanced money" to Abalos and his gang. That's 2.2 billion pesos! That's just a fraction of the spoils given to these rapacious government officials.

Those monies cannot be government money, because if it is, it should have a paper trail, right? Wrong. The president, says another source, can get 500 million from her intelligence funds, which are discretionary funds. Well, the Senate should check on this enormous power of the purse by the president. Because if she can do that, with just a verbal order, she can dispense half a billion pesos, then, she's the wealthiest single banker this country ever had.

There's more to this than meets the eye

If we have that big an amount to just give to our government officials "recklessly and apparently in wanton fashion", then, we should investigate this. I am appalled by the reaction our distinguished Senators and government officials showed lately. They seemed to be disaffected by all of this, as if this thing is not to be despised nor to be thought as illegal.

Where's our morals? It could be that we have lost it altogether and we're ripe for the reaping.

Soros hand in recent Philippine events

There was a surprising revelation that escaped everybody's attention during the ZTE hearings. I remember one senator (I think its Senator Enrile---just review the transcripts) asking Joey de Venecia who'll back him up financially in the NBN deal. Without batting an eyelash, Joey retorted the magic word: “Soros”.

Ah, Soros.

We all know who George Soros is. For those who don’t, three words to remember about him---Open Democracy (which I espouse), Asian Financial Crisis and Billionaire. He’s the Richard Branson of the financial world. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew once blamed him for the Asian financial crisis. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad once accused him of manipulating world markets for his own ends. I remembered FVR telling everybody that George Soros' hand was behind the spate of coups during the Cory Aquino regime.

Who's Soros?

Soros heads the Soros Management Fund, a global operation which essentially promotes open societies. You can check Google or the website http://www.soros.org or www.opendemocracy.net for more details.

Various sources describe him as a Financial speculator, a political activist and even a philosopher. He was once a student of Karl Popper, the philosopher credited of having created the concept of Open Democracy.

Actually, Soros pushes for Open Democracy. However, some sectors attribute sinister political motives behind every Soros' action. Soros hates despots. He was once a victim of fascism. He experienced it first hand when, as a young Hungarian Jew, he suffered first-hand atrocities under Hitler’s regime.

Soros’ stake in the Philippines

Soros is known to finance revolutions. He did it at EDSA. He did it for the Rose Revolution in Europe. For some societies, his participation proved to be crucial. Others, like his part in the repudiation of Bush re-election campaign, was a failure. His 80 billion dollar empire stretches “ in the farthest reaches, in the ends of the earth”, so to speak.

Why finance a revolution in the Philippines?

Obviously, current political reality dictates that changes in the present political structure is in order. The Arroyo administration is slowly becoming despotic. Former US President Bill Clinton’s remark about his former classmate as being “the most feared woman in the Philippines” tells you a lot about how Americans perceive Arroyo’s regime. Analyzing the Philippine situation, there are five (5) things that justifies a regime change.

1. The Arroyo administration’s militarization of the state. The Philippine state is a garrison state, ruled by a chosen few, chosen more for their subservience to the Arroyo clique than anything else. Just looking at the Cabinet and their underlings says much about this administration. Retired generals populate sensitive posts, appointed more on their capabilities at producing financial results to the Arroyo clique than anything. Undersecretaries are mostly business associates of the First Gentleman. Other posts, like the Supreme Court, the Ombusman and even the COMELEC have been given to puppets of the clique.

2. Tendencies in centralizing economic gains. The “improving” economic condition of the Philippines is not a miracle. Globalization has opened the doors of free trade to Asia-Pacific economies. Philippine economic fundamentals remain strong, buoyed by overseas remittances and strong foreign portfolio investments. However, the vertical growth of the economy has not resulted to horizontal development because economic gains failed to redound or spill over to sectors at the middle and bottom rungs of the economy. The reason is simple---a chosen few, the elites, have cornered most of the economic gains. The middle class—the prime motor of economic growth in other countries— remained stagnant. There is limited social movement in this class because of the concentration of wealth. Worst, large chunks of this class have fallen to the lower rungs of the economic strata. Pitifully, the proletarian class has likewise stagnated and remained slave consumers, powerless, and unable to progress to the higher stage of development. This concentration of wealth to a few breeds dissent from disfranchised sectors, creating an inevitable revolutionary situation.
3. Increasing human rights violations. Critics of this administration have suffered most of the brunt of human rights violations, perpetuated by state security agencies. As expected, the ruling oligarchs and their political allies will protect their economic wealth against the counter-elite. Those outside of the politico-economic circle of influence, will, undoubtedly, move to grab this concentrated wealth for themselves. Quite expectedly, force from the counter-elite (dubbed “destabilization” by the ruling elite) will also be met with equal or stronger force as a form of self-preservation or self-defense by the state’s ruling clique. Violations of basic rights are therefore, expected from this power struggle, with underlings suffering the most.
4. Contracting, instead of expanding. With continued destabilization, the state slowly closes its doors to counter-elites, forcing it to isolation. Isolation dictates that trust should only be given to subservient interest groups. Favors, will therefore be dispensed to those who pledge allegiance to the clique. The state in this situation contracts, and this contraction will also affect not only the political realm but also in the economic realm. This is quite evident in the ZTE deal. The administration gave the deal to the Chinese because it was supported by a strong financial ally (Razon) and a political wheeler-dealer (Abalos). Such situations can never be avoided under the current state of affairs. The weakness of this administration is exploitable because it is being forced to give in to economic favours to maintain status quo. The continued destabilization coming from a disfranchised counter-elite forces slowly weakens the state and thus, as a natural reaction, the state tries to gain strength by expanding its support bases, which, in this case, can only come from members of the economic community and the political operators.
5. Weakening state security. GMA’s decision to scrap the ZTE deal due to political noise tells you a lot about this administration. It has been decisively weakened. It has exposed its weakness by bowing to political pressure. Yes, this blogger encouraged GMA to stand down, because, following political strategy, that’s the most logical survival tactic available to her. The explosive nature of the controversy could force her ouster. However, her decision actually resulted to prolong her rule only for a few weeks or months, not years. The state’s weak state will affect not only her administration, but will definitely affect even the economy.

Indications of an impending regime change

1. Strengthening of the peso. Reports say that the peso will hit 40 or even 37 by year’s end. Is this good or is this bad? Obviously, it’s very bad. The peso’s comfortable exchange rate is around 40-41 pesos for a dollar. Some sectors are spreading the rumour that it could hit 37 or even 30 by 2008. This is bad because a strong peso will undoubtedly affect the export sector. You will have a situation where hundreds of small and medium sized export enterprises will be forced to close down because of this. You’ll have a situation where families relying on remittances will receive lesser amount of money than before. When you have a strong peso, you’ll be lessening the purchasing power of the middle class and the remittance-dependent lower classes, resulting to increased poverty. And, you’ll also find thousands of Filipinos out of work because hundreds of export companies will be forced to close shop. When you have that kind of situation, you are creating a replica of what happened in Argentina many years ago.
2. Demoralization among the soldiers’ ranks. The AFP admits this. Reports say, Esperon will file coup d’etat charges against six lieutenants. Note that those involved here are lieutenants, not colonels and definitely, not generals. This indicates a massive number of demoralized soldiers and when you have that kind of situation, you definitely have a serious issue at hand. Defeats in the Southern arena of war continues and GMA’s trusty military puppets will definitely have a hard time convincing troops to remain loyal.
3. Increasing dissent in the disfranchised sectors of society. The ZTE deal exposed a raw nerve in the Filipino psyche. It fueled hate. It fanned the flames of paninibugho (for a lack of an English translation, I wrote the Filipino term here---my apologies), a feeling more serious than the Western concept of hatred.
4. Losing political base. There’s a split in the ruling clique brought by the ZTE deal. Concessions were granted to other members of the clique to the consternation of other loyal subjects of the clique. This sprawn a division which could lead to ouster of the head of the clique. Far worst, this shows a permanent crack in the relationship, which obviously, was a patron-client one. The lost of a stable political base further led to a weakening, which, in this case, puts the regime in a serious state.

Soros knows this. Expect a heightening of tensions between inter-elites which could lead to an implosion. This implosion will fuel destabilization which will lead to disintegration of existing relationships and possible ouster from power possibly in the first quarter of next year. Or even earlier.

AB-ZTE-FG---will FG be next in the firing line?

Abalos has just resigned. GMA was reportedly surprised. This happened in a very short period of time. The next query--who's next in the chopping block?

AB then ZTE

Will GMA's trip to China today marks the end of ZTE? This abrupt trip to China smells like an attempt at damage control on the part of the president. What will GMA say to the Chinese? She appears like one of the consorts of the Chinese emperor of old, reporting to them like they are the new masters of the Filipinos. We know from sources inside the palace that the $ 1.8 B loan package that China dangled like a carrot to Arroyo is on the verge of being written off by the Chinese because of this ZTE deal. And we heard that some ZTE officials have literally begged Arroyo to tell the truth about this shaddy deal entered by her and her husband to their principal in China. Some Chinese friends from the Communist Party told New Philippine Revolution that the stench has reached alarming proportions throughout the global business community that it threatens other ZTE deals from other countries. ZTE is a global brand. Its a major supplier of telecommunications equipment for large multinational companies around the world. With this deal going bonkers, expect a major shakedown within the company. That shakedown of political operators within ZTE will have drastic effects on the company's capabilities.

ZTE then FG

After the ZTE, will GMA then pressure her husband to "back off" from government deals, the same way she and her gang turned Abalos into a sacrificial lamb? It seems that FG has been effectively shielded from all these just by merely being away from it all. What is FG really doing there in Europe? Is he trying to protect their asses err assets? Or, as some say, FG is preparing the country of their exile in time for the next big thing? We heard that the couple does not intend to suffer the same fate as Erap so they would want to stay away from the Philippines in an event of major power grab.

Issue shifting---again

It seems that the issue has drastically changed direction. Last week, all eyes were on Abalos as he tried to parry the maliciousness of the Senate and the barrage of illicit innuendoes. Now that he resigned, the administration has a real issue in their hands. As what we wrote here, it's clear that Abalos will be sacrificed by the palace along with Neri. His resignation has now dictated the tempo of this controversy. For instead of putting an end into all of these, Abalos' resignation has put Arroyo into very dangerous situations.

Dangerous Liaisons

Think about this---Abalos will now be free to launch a vilification campaign against his former principal. Like all other EDSA 1 veterans, Abalos is obviously a fighter. He's a political survivor. He knows the game and has the skills for survival. Obviously, Abalos was stunned by the betrayal of the palace whom he has caressed and cared for during the previous two elections. I believe the confrontation of Neri and Abalos during the Senate hearings have taken Abalos aback. Obviously, the old man could not believe that he's being fed to the wolves, with nay of a support (even moral) from his principal. Grizzled veterans like Abalos knows how and when to throw that knockout punch and judging from his moves right now, Abalos is timing his actions. Will Abalos do an Ali who once flew like a butterfly and sting like a bee?

Abalos ala Ali

Reports say, Abalos vowed to fight back. He wants to clear his name. But, ex Chair, how would you do it? The entire country has taken you as an influence-peddler. The entire palace media machinery has been ordered to wreck your entire persona. You have been portrayed as a cheap political caddy. It would take Abalos years to repair that damage. It appears that Abalos will not fade away, as some palace sectors hope he would.

Villains turning into heroes?

If Abalos sings, as some civil society sectors hope he will, it might turn him into an instant hero. Look at how Chavit did it. Chavit is as guilty as Erap when he made that "revelation." Will Abalos do the same thing, this time against the EDSA 2 beneficiary?

Look at the number of articles coming out of the papers. It's like a political battlefield out there. Some reports say that JDV has a hand in a number of Chinese deals, including the North Rail and the Cyber-Education project. I believe in this. JDV probably sent his son or supported him just for them to appear clean in all these allegations. Or, even if he did'nt do it or did'nt push his son or any other sonnafabitch to spill the dirty work, there's a clear indication that these things have a deeper shit behind them.

Neri---the real villain?

It appears, as some sectors allude, that Neri is not as clean as what he was pictured out to be. ZTE pursued him even up to the ched with the Cyber-Education project, another big elephant which nearly escaped the public eye. Is it possible that Neri did received a huge sum, as what some reports say, from ZTE? Is Neri the real villain here? Note that Neri elected not to reveal anything against Arroyo at the hearings. He's a lapdog, that's as clear as day. Why? Probably the palace holds some aces in their sleeves against him. It could be that Neri is a bagman, as what others say he is.

The Final Punch

I still believe that all of these things will lead to a big incident, so big that it would topple GMA in a few months' time. Forces are slowly confluencing into one gigantic movement and nature's law dictates that such a force should (1) have direction and (2) should have an outlet of expression.

In the next few days, I believe that Abalos will find "enlightenment" and decide to fight those who betrayed him. Will he spill the beans, as some sectors hope he will against GMA? Or he'll just fire his gun specifically at his detractors, at Joey?

His decision will be based on time. Readers, this is cryptic. Read between the lines, please and you'll know the truth.





(UPDATE) Cory Aquino visits Abalos after resignation
By Kristine L. Alave
Inquirer
Last updated 07:54pm (Mla time) 10/01/2007
Most Read
MANILA, Philippines--Former president Corazon Aquino on Monday visited Benjamin Abalos Sr. after he announced his resignation as chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), saying she was returning the support Abalos and his family gave her when she herself was plagued by crisis.

Aquino arrived at Abalos’ residence on Kanlaon Street in Mandaluyong City past 3 p.m. She was greeted by the ex-poll chairman and his wife, Corazon.

In a brief talk with the media, Aquino expressed support for Abalos and said she has been praying for the beleaguered government official.

When her administration was threatened by coup d’etats, Abalos was one of the first officials to arrive in Malacañang to give her support. Abalos and his wife were also there for her when she felt like an outcast and nobody wanted to associate with her during her crisis years, Aquino said.

“I’m returning his support,” Aquino explained, adding that her visit should remind Abalos that he still has friends.

"Nung nakita ko si Cora kanina, awang-awa ako [When I saw Cora earlier, I pitied her]," she added.

On the allegations that Abalos brokered the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) deal between the Arroyo administration and the Chinese firm ZTE Corp., Aquino withheld her judgment. She added that Abalos must have prayed hard when he decided to step down from his post.

“The truth will come out,” the former president said.

“Daanin na lang natin sa dasal [Let us course it through prayers]. Trust everything to the Lord,” Aquino advised Abalos.

Aside from allegedly brokering the NBN contract, Abalos was also accused of attempted bribery by former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri and businessman Jose De Venecia III.

Abalos vehemently denied the charges, saying he would file damage and perjury suits against his detractors.

Aquino gave Abalos his first break in politics when she appointed him officer-in-charge of Mandaluyong City in 1986, after the People Power revolution.

The ex-poll official even showed photographs of his oath-taking as Mandaluyong City OIC to Aquino, during their chat, which lasted for about 30 minutes.

Abalos eventually became the city mayor, a post he held until 1998, when he was replaced by his son, Benhur.
After his stint in the local government, Abalos headed the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority. In 2002, he was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to chair the Commission on Elections.

Abalos said he was “encouraged” by Aquino’s visit. The former president left the Abalos residence around 3:50 p.m.

"When you are in crisis, you will really know who your real friends are," he said.

“I feel very much touched. Somehow, this strengthens you,” he said. “I never expected this,” he added.

Originally posted at 3:25pm

Malacanang's exit strategy

Romulo Neri is a very important man nowadays. He's expected to show up at the Senate hearings to shed light on the ZTE deal. ANC's Ricky Carandang had a chat with him a few days ago and he seems unaffected by it all. Remember that Neri told Carandang and the Inquirer that he received an indecent proposal from ZTE officials via Chairman Abalos involving millions of dollars. Neri was previously the head of the government's economic planning portfolio. That department was responsible in approving such deals because its the one who gives the justification for government to undertake of such a project. If Neri tells the unvarnished truth, that he was bribed or that an attempt to bribe him did happen, then, this issue is finished. What government must do is just pressure the Supreme Court to declare it unconstitutional, throw the deal to the waste basket and get on with running the government. The SC decision is the most convenient way out of this mess. The government will not lose face to the Chinese. Likewise, the Chinese will definitely understand it if this deal does not push thru.

However, this issue will continue in another front. Neri's revelation will change the direction of this controversy. Right now, all attention seems to be directed at the gang of FG and Abalos. The attacks seem to be pointing to the palace, specifically at the presidency.

Issue Shifting

Neri's testimony is important because it would prove whether there really was a bribery. A mere attempt could easily persuade the public that the deal was tainted with corruption. The onus of proving otherwise, remains with Abalos. However, Abalos will find it very hard to convince the body politic that he did'nt receive a single cent from the Chinese.

If I were Mrs. Arroyo, i'll allow Neri to nail Abalos and the ZTE guys. Judging from the amount of publicity this controversy has generated, Neri's controversy will condemn Abalos to perdition, conveniently allowing FG and Mendoza to distance themselves from the payoff scandal. If this happens, the issue has been effectively contained because it'll be limited to just what the public or government anti-graft prosecutors must do to Abalos. Reports say that Mendoza is clean. I believe them. News articles say that FG was just used by Abalos to put pressure on ZTE's rivals, which, in this case, Joey de Venecia's group.

Malacanang's spinsters should (1) allow Neri's testimony to point to Abalos as the "it" guy. They should write stories that'll say that Abalos actually used his influence and pressured the First Gentleman to accede to this deal. That way, all blame will be directed at Abalos.

Impeachment

Let Abalos sacrifice himself for the sake of the palace. Abalos will definitely be allowed to retire in peace, because he can't be impeached anyway. It'll be a wasteful use of public funds if Congress files an impeachment case against him. The old man is retiring from the Comelec anyway. Common sense dictates that, for the sake of peace, Abalos should be allowed to end his term with "dignity" eventhough he does'nt deserve it.

The Exit Strategy

The main question is this---will Abalos be party to this strategy? Will Abalos allow himself to be further maligned by this scandal? There are precedents anyway. Perez' s case is one. Joc-joc's case is another. Perez is now enjoying the fruits of his indecency somewhere in Batangas while Joc-Joc remains comfortable in his high security cell in the United States. After all of his helter-skelter thing, Abalos has the chance to "wither away", so to speak, a few months from now, when all things simmer down. If I were Abalos, i'll accept this exit strategy. Anyway, if all reports are true, he already received the monies from the Chinese. He can retire in peace. ZTE already paid him. If the SC decides that government should not push for this deal, then, ZTE cannot really demand Abalos to return the money, right? It'll be convenient to all parties to just allow another body to give them the way out. And the SC is the one such body.

Joey's fate

This NBN project will still be given to Joey's group. I don't know if you noticed, but all of these Chinese deals have been bagged by JDV's group. They just raised this thing because one project was not given to them. Civil society groups should scrutinize all Chinese deals and they'll find that JDV's group got all these projects (i.e., Northrail, etc.). Surely, Malacanan will give Joey some projects just to silence him. Its just a question of when. I think we will see Joey in the next few years.

Bungled Opportunity to be Great; JDV an Idiot

Read the Inquirer headline today. It says that JDV went to Malacanan to have an audience with Arroyo. After that 45 minute meeting, which JDV described as a "constructive" one, he says that their relationship remains stable and strong despite the ZTE deal.

This action by the Speaker is precisely why JDV will never become president nor a prime minister. He does not deserve it. He's the type of guy who will compromise when push comes to shove. Great leaders are not compromisers. Great leaders know when to stand their ground and when to relent. In this case, JDV will always remain a second-rate politician, and some say, even of the worst kind.

If JDV feels that he's strong and has the numbers, he should not have gone to the palace for that meeting. This meeting shows the true nature of JDV. He is ambition-driven. He does not have the "balls" so to speak, to stand up against his enemies. He will even sell his family if needs be. What he wants is just power, not the welfare of the majority of our people.

As I previously wrote here, this ZTE controversy is an opportunity for him to be great. And this chance only comes once in a lifetime. However, that meeting with GMA shows that JDV will tolerate any form of corruption for as long as he's not involved in it, or his friends did it, or that it does not impact on his political standing. Such a stand says much about the character of the Speaker. He's the nation's worst example of being a leader. He does not lead; he simply cannot be a true leader because he's a compromiser. He compromises only for himself.

By meeting the president, the Speaker is condoning whatever actions the First Gentleman and his gang did against the nation. That ZTE deal is an illegal one. It is quite obvious that it will burden 80 million Filipinos with a 25 billion peso debt. For the Speaker, the issue is just a misunderstanding between him and GMA. The Speaker thinks along the lines of politics, but does not think about the welfare of the Filipino People who stands to lose their shirts if this deal pushes through.

Call me pragmatic or what-have-you, but the Speaker bungled the opportunity to be great. He should have stood behind his son. He should have praised him for standing up against the "bakal boys" of the palace and condemned it. But no. The fourth highest official of the land decided to side with the bakal boys.

Great men are risk-takers. They don't consider grey areas. For the Speaker, he always see a rainbow.

Speaker: If there's oust threat, will crush it
'I am torn between my love for my son and GMA'

By Norman Bordadora, Christian V. Esguerra
Inquirer
Last updated 00:21am (Mla time) 09/22/2007
Most Read
Full coverage: The NBN Deal

View liveblog of Senate hearing at Inquirer Current

View the NBN contract and related documents

MANILA, Philippines -- His post may be at risk because of his son's testimony at the Senate implicating President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's husband, but Speaker Jose de Venecia says he is confident of weathering the political storm.

In fact, the man said, he did not need Malacañang's guarantee to complete his unprecedented fifth term until 2010. "I feel strong in my own right," he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview at his Makati residence Friday.

Asked in a separate interview to assess his hold on the House leadership, De Venecia declared: "There is no threat. And if there is a threat, we'll crush it."

The Speaker said he was "bewitched and bewildered" in the wake of his son Jose "Joey" de Venecia's testimony implicating Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo in the $329-million National Broadband Network deal.

"I am torn between my love for my son and my love for the President," he said. But he added that he would not reach the point of having to make the ultimate choice, and neither would administration allies in the House.

"That will not arise because the relationship is stable; the coalition is impregnable," the Speaker said, referring to the administration coalition composed largely of Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) and his Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats.

"I don't need to make a choice because I am for my son and I am for the President," he said.

'A little delicate'
Joey de Venecia told the Senate on Tuesday that Mike Arroyo had thrust a finger at his face and told him to "back off" from the NBN deal.

The Speaker admitted Friday that his son's testimony had had some effect on his relationship with Arroyo, his running mate in his failed bid for the presidency in 1998.

"There's a little effect, but she knows in her heart that I had nothing to do with it," he said, acknowledging that the current political scene was "a little delicate."

"To clear the air" between the two of them, he said, they had a 45-minute meeting in Malacañang at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday.

The meeting, which was arranged by Deputy Speaker Amelita Villarosa, took place shortly after administration congressmen had dinner at the Palace, purportedly to express support for Arroyo in the wake of the NBN scandal.

At the meeting, De Venecia told Arroyo that his son had not accused her husband of any wrongdoing in connection with the NBN deal.

Asked if Arroyo had assured him of Malacañang's continued support, the Speaker said: "I don't need to ask that from her ... The same way that when I support her, she doesn't have to beg or ask me.

"I just do it because we're allies. We know what to do. The mere fact that she invited me [to Malacañang] was enough. We discussed things objectively."

Earlier in the week, De Venecia acknowledged that a crisis was brewing as a result of his son's testimony at the Senate.

But he pointed out that his son had "continuously defended" the President, referring to Joey de Venecia's statement that she was never involved in the brokering of the NBN deal.

Asked then how he was doing, the Speaker said: "As usual, managing even in crisis.

"I am torn between my loyalty to the President and my love for my son. But actually, there really is no problem.

"It is only the media that is making all these allegations [of a rift]."

Threat from a few
The Speaker dismissed the threat to unseat him as coming from a few House members loyal to Arroyo but who had dissociated themselves from him.

"As early as the battle for the speakership [against Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia in July], it has always been the President's allies, like [Sorsogon Rep. Jose] Solis, the likes of [Camarines Sur Rep. Luis] Villafuerte. That's all, period. There's no more," he said.

Garcia told the Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) Friday that there was "no move" to oust De Venecia, at least for now.

He said his group was leaving the matter to other members of the bloc and the President herself. "We will meet in the coming days and get a consensus," he said.

The so-called Garcia group was formed initially as a "conscience" bloc soon after the Cebu congressman lost in the speakership race.

Even Kampi chairman and Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said Kampi had no plan to work for De Venecia's ouster.

Anyway, Puno told reporters, there was "not enough of a vote in the House" that could unseat De Venecia now.

"For the record, there is no attempt to unseat the Speaker. For the record, I think Congress will remain in its present form and continue to work under its present organization," Puno said.

He also said it was not a good time for the House to change leadership because its members had been assigned their committees and were buckling down to work.

He added that it was too late now for Congress "to start from scratch."

Asked whether Arroyo still supported De Venecia, Puno said: "I don't think there has been any change in the attitude of the President toward Lakas as a party, the coalition in general, and the congressional leadership."

'We will overcome'
De Venecia expressed confidence that he still enjoyed the "overwhelming" support of members of the House. He apparently arrived at this conclusion after a series of meetings with coalition members that began on Wednesday and went on until Thursday night.

"We're going through a period of political turbulence," he said. "[But] I think that by and large, we will overcome it. We have no major differences within the majority coalition."

De Venecia pointed out that his meeting with Arroyo was arranged by Deputy Speaker Villarosa, a member of Kampi.

"I can't just go meet the President without any invitation. We don't want to impose on her hospitality even if we're very close friends," he said.

De Venecia said Arroyo continued to back him as Speaker and as her top ally in the House because he continued to support her as President.

Proof of Arroyo's support, he said, was his retaining his post despite the serious challenge posed by Garcia in July.

Counting the ways
De Venecia ticked off the occasions when, he said, he showed Arroyo that he would support her "come hell or high water."

"I have supported her in the impeachment battle, in the Cabinet revolt against her," he said.

The first referred to the two failed efforts to impeach Arroyo as a result of the "Hello Garci" wiretapping scandal, and the second, to the mass resignation of members of her Cabinet--collectively known as the "Hyatt 10"--who called on her to step down amid allegations that she had manipulated the 2004 presidential election.

De Venecia also cited the time when he and former president Fidel Ramos went to Malacañang to throw their support behind Arroyo at the height of calls for her ouster.

"Many [people] were saying that [we came to her rescue," he said. "But I don't even give importance to that. I just do things for her in the same way that she does things for me."

He also said he staked whatever little popularity he had in supporting the unpopular Expanded Value-Added Tax Law that the Arroyo administration pushed in the 13th Congress.

Exercise in futility
House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor said lawmakers numbering not more than 10 had been "agitating [other lawmakers] for the ouster of the Speaker."

"It's an exercise in futility," Defensor told the Inquirer. "Even Pablo (Garcia) is not up to it. It's just the people around him."

Agusan del Norte Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, a senior member of the House opposition, told reporters that he would support De Venecia if push came to shove.

"He could have asked his son not to testify against the First Gentleman, but he did not," Plaza said of the Speaker. "Somebody like that deserves support."

With a report from Christine O. Avendaño

Abalos and Formoso--sacrificial lambs

Joey de Venecia was a picture of frustration at today's Senate hearings. After Mendoza admitted meeting Mr. Arroyo and Comelec chairman Abalos, Joey sensed something wrong. Mendoza told Senators that he did meet the First Gentleman and Chairman Abalos at Wack Wack Golf and Country Club, but there was nothing anomalous about it. It was a simple chat, that's all and it has nothing to do with the ZTE deal.

Bull.

Don't tell me that the First Gentleman did not "pressure" Mendoza to agree about the deal. Don't tell me that Chair Abalos did'nt caddy for the Chinese. Abalos already admitted knowing the ZTE officials and they have discussed the ZTE deal at length prior to the April 21 signing of the agreement in China. Mendoza is simply lying for saying that he knows nothing rotten about the deal. What's more, Mendoza simply allowed an underling to defend the contract, deftly distancing himself from the issue. Is this the kind of secretary we deserve? Someone who heads the department but does'nt know or simply feign innocence whenever something like this happens?

I do believe, however, that Mendoza did not earn a single cent from this deal. I believe that Mendoza is clean. I can't say about the First Gentleman and Abalos. Maybe this deal was just to accommodate the wishes of the "old man" who's set to retire four months from now. Its quite possible that Abalos was expecting this deal to be his swan song. I do believe Joey's revelation though about Abalos. It seems that Joey was really pressured by Abalos to back off because this project was a project of the First Gentleman and Abalos.

I do emphathize with Mendoza though. He owes the First Gentleman his position. And generals like him are admired most for their capacity to keep secrets. It seems that Mendoza was just doing his job, while Abalos appears to be the one who wants a quick buck. It could be that this deal was the First Gentleman's gift to Abalos.

Obviously, in this political vaudeville (as described by GMA), the die has already been cast. Sacrifice Abalos and Formoso. Abalos is retiring from government service anyway while Formoso, well, he's dispensible. From the looks of it, GMA and her gang has decided to let Abalos go. The question though is, is this a wise decision?

The cabbie sings

Abalos knows a lot of secrets. He knows the real score especially on the 2004 elections. If he sings....that's another "fresh" destabilization plot. Abalos said that he'll attend the Senate hearings on Wednesday to clear his name. Sadly, this might be a foregone conclusion. The reputation of Abalos has been destroyed by Joey's pronouncements that it would be very hard for Abalos to cleanse his name.

A warning though to the good Chairman---the Chinese intelligence service is closely observing what's happening here. The Chinese Communist Party, obviously, would not let this issue sitting down. Abalos could face a very dangerous situation here.

If Abalos is let go, what's the possibility of him singing like a canary? There's a chance that he will.

Postscript

A "sick" First Gentleman left for Germany in the eve of the Senate hearings. What prompted him to leave? Could it be because of the Senate hearings? I think not.

I think the First Gentleman needs to check on his deposits in Switzerland. He went there with his banker. What would prod a sick man to leave in haste if it not for money? The only possibility is one of his banks need his signature. For what, you may ask? There are three possibilities: (1) FG needs to sign a bank transfer (2) He needs to withdraw a huge sum of money which he cannot do online and (3) it could be he's preparing the country of exile?

These things don't happen without a purpose. I stand by my observation that negotiations between GMA's camp and the counter-elite has reached an impasse. There could be another stab at ousting the president and the palace probably knows that the counter-elite has a stronger force than theirs. Are we seeing a repeat of EDSA very soon? I think yes. But, it may not happen this month or the next. It could probably happen either by January or February of next year. I think the nation is expecting yet another scandal which could precipitate a power grab.

Joey's revelation ala Chavit--GMA must stand down

The ZTE deal is becoming a family squabble. You have the son of the Speaker talking against the spouse of the most powerful official of the land. You have both the wife and their children ganging up against the Speaker's son. Lines are slowly being drawn. I agree with some analysts--the relationship of both the Speaker and the President is now strained. But if you analyze it more closely, this controversy did not precipitate the strain. This relationship has been strained before the elections. Last elections, the Speaker nearly lost his congressional fight when administration allies ganged up on him. When he wrested that one in Pangasinan, another close ally of the president tried, yet failed, to dislodge him from the speakership. So, there is really nothing to lose at this point because their political relationship has since been severed by all of these attempts at destroying JDV's political career.

What we're now seeing is a purely public display of that strained relations. The question that needs to be answered is whether or not the Speaker is behind all of these. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago asked that question two days ago, when she verbalized her disgusts against the Speakers' son, Joey. Santiago asked that there must be some sinister hands behind the revelation of Joey. Her paranoia has basis. You see, in Philippine politics, nothing happens without the expressed consent of the elite. I'm sure that JDV camp has given Joey their tacit approval of the expose. However, we need to contextualize this issue and look at it as an important component of a bigger political game.

What's at stake for both camps?

There's an uncanny resemblance between what Chavit did in 2000 with that of today's revelation of Joey's. First, Chavit came out of the woodwork entering the last quarter of 2000, when he accused former president Erap as the one behind plans for him to be assassinated. Chavit bravely exposed Erap's alleged corruption also in the Senate.

Joey's revelation also has that kind of tenor. Joey said that he's been receiving death threats from government officials. He fingered DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza as the one behind those threats he's been receiving after he came out of his expose. Joey's fears has basis. Mendoza is the head of the generals' "mafia" in government, and Mendoza's group is known for doing "special operations" against their enemies.

In 2000, Chavit went to the media and used the Fourth estate in his fight against Erap. He also gamely went to Congress and Senate and exposed Erap's "indiscretions". Joey also used this tactic. He first went to his father's media friend, columnist Jarius Bondoc, and revealed what happened. As early as last year, Bondoc has been writing about the ZTE story, but no one really took notice. ZTE officials ignored Bondoc's allegations and did not even tried to counter them. That was their mistake because ZTE allowed their enemies to "work the ground", so to speak, allowing Amsterdam Holdings Incorporated to gain time in getting the media at their side. Now, AHI and the powers behind it, are now in a very powerful position. They have dictated the tempo eversince and no amount of crisis management can ever be done to sway public opinion now.

When Chavit lambasted the palace, everybody gravitated towards him, including the counter-elite. Chavit became the focal point of the anti-Erap movement. Now, with Joey's revelations, the question remains--will the counter-elite gravitate to him? That remains to be seen.

As I wrote here, the failure of anti-GMA groups to court middle class support is the main reason why all of their attempts failed. The middle class remains unconvinced that now is the right time to oust Gloria. With this controversy becoming nastier and more sinister, will this be the one which will finally convince the middle forces to stand up against Gloria? Will the Philippine business community stand up against Gloria or will they just stay silent and wait for this controversy to simmer down?

I am sure that there are furious negotiations between the camps of GMA and JDV specifically on how to effectively manage this situation and avoid a spillage. I fear though that maybe, just maybe, the two camps have already ended negotiations. What prodded JDV to cancel his trip to the Netherlands? Reports say that the First Gentleman went there on the eve of Joey's revelation. Wagging tongues reveal that FG went there purposely to meet with the Speaker and discuss this brouhaha. If JDV cancelled his trip, does this mean that both camps have reached an impasse or a settlement? Or JDV's forces have now assessed the situation and finally said that now is the time to move against Gloria?

We don't know what's happening behind the scenes but one thing is for sure--Gloria is using her enormous influence now to pressure the Supreme Court to grant an indefinite suspension of the ZTE deal. Gloria's camp is known to capitulate whenever it smells something sinister in the air. When its threatened, Gloria is known to back off. Unlike Erap who stubbornly resisted Chavit, Gloria's camp are veteran political operators who knows when to call it quits. This issue is easy to solve. Let the Supreme Court decide on the constitutionality of the deal, drop it, and let the heat off. For one, the ZTE deal does not have an appropriation in the first place and it's just a supplier contract. The best solution to this is for Gloria to face this squarely, decide for the suspension of the deal, and let agencies of government review it. It will take some time, yes, but, this is precisely the point why Gloria should back off now. If she does what Erap did in 2000, she may yet find herself and her spouse on the same boat as Erap. Gloria must stand down.