First Gentleman visits St. Lukes Medical Center

Early this morning, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo visited St. Luke's Medical Center. Why? No one knows, except that some malicious tongues wag that he might have visited his bosom buddy and fellow Rotarian Joc-Joc Bolante. Possible. Why?

Maybe ask him to "stay the course"? Various personalities have been going to St. Luke's lately, having "chest pains", like ex-VP Teofisto Guingona Jr., ex-Senators Jun Magsaysay and Ernie Maceda. Maybe FG wants to see for himself if Bolante remains true to the mafiosi credo---omerta.

Or, maybe, he consulted his cardiologist, the same one attending Joc-Joc's chest pain needs. I would imagine Joc-Joc clutching his chest. He's getting all these brickbats and angry looks. Afraid? 

Or maybe, just maybe, giving some tips on how to handle those grey hairs? Maybe a confidential tip on how to escape detention, err, detection, to go have that haircut and hair-coloring over at Reyes' salon?

Joc-Joc Bolante, an alleged big-time thief, is having all the fun. Imagine, you reportedly stole at least 758 million in public funds and you're being treated like royalty? Criminals who stole 10 pesos are receiving the brutal treatment in various police stations nationwide. Others even got the "royal treatment"---a lethal salvage.

Well, in this part of the world, when you steal big, you're celebrity. People admire you for stealing their money big-time. And get away with the royal treatment. Spa for thieves, anyone?

Bolante's Options

Controversial Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante arrived just past 10:30 pm at the NAIA. Looking older and slimmer, Bolante was on a wheelchair and being secured by what ABS-CBN correspondent Don Tagala said as "uniformed personnel".

It appears that Joc-Joc lost weight in jail. His hair all turned grey. He's older but it remains though to be seen, whether he also grew wiser. 

He seems stressed and appears harangue. Maybe due to the long flight. What's obvious about this is the apparent subtle "protection" he seems to be enjoying right from where he embarked to his disembarkation.

It appears that he'll ask to be transported to a hospital, feigning illness. Nonetheless, lest we be deceived again, Joc-Joc actually can stand on his own and appears in good health. His weight loss could be the result of  anxieties after losing his appeal for asylum in America and what fate really awaits him upon his return.

What's certain is this--Bolante has to account for the following sins against the People:

• Account for 728 million released to him via the fertilizer project under the GMA (Ginintuang Masaganang Ani) program
• Account for the 1.1 billion pesos released to him through the GMA livestock, etc, program
• Account for 1.54 billion pesos released to him via the agri tractors program

Right now, he's being taken cared of at St. Luke's hospital after he complained of chest pains. Bolante was taken by uniformed security personnel and rode an ambulance. It appears that there was a prior arrangement with the hospital, since reports show that there's a room waiting for Bolante.

The Senate lawyer, part of the Chamber's sergeant at arms office, says they have sent their security personnel to secure Bolante. However, it's uncertain whether they will actually succeed in arresting Bolante.

It appears that Bolante still enjoys the protection of the Powers-That-Be. It's very clear that Bolante would not do a Lozada, not in the immediate future.

Bolante has nowhere to hide. Two and a half years ago, he fled the country, thinking that he can escape the law. Yet, the law caught up with him. Now, he's like a cornered animal, abandoned by those who benefitted from his "expertise" and being pressured by the Opposition to strike the hand that once fed him and turned him into what he's now---a disgraced Rotarian and a publicly crucified alleged thief.

Now, what future awaits Bolante? Gloria and her gang of misfits already said publicly, they're "hands off". They say, he's on his own. Will his fellow Rotarians protect him from all of these? Wagging tongues say some members of the Rotary mafia might use some of their powers and influence to make Bolante toe the line.

Bolante's future depends on how he'll play his cards. He has two options. First, he might just might do a Romulo Neri. Neri's case is a glaring example of government success in placating an angry citizenry. Neri escaped public scrutiny when he found succor from a friendly Court, being a government functionary himself. That Supreme Court decision called "People vs. Neri" effectively gave immunity to government officials involved in nefarious deals. Bolante and his benefactors might just invoke this and say that Bolante's part of the fertilizer scam is part of executive privilege, since it happened during his time as a government official.

In Bolante's case, he, theoretically, enjoys none. Knowing this regime though and how it uses all of its powers to protect its publicly crucified mafia members, Arroyo's regime might pull just one final magic act to save itself from the embarrassment of a Bolante expose. It might even appoint Bolante to a government post, effectively shielding him from further public scrutiny.

If Bolante choose this path, he may only benefit from it until Arroyo relinquishes power in 2010. After that, he, like his benefactor, Arroyo, face tremendous legal problems. In the next administration, Bolante will still face prosecution, even the bleak prospect of spending his life in jail.  

Now, should Bolante turn ala Lozada, this is actually not a risk-free thing. For one, he may have to face not only physical but also legal threats from many sectors, that includes the Powerful Mafia inside the Arroyo regime. He might get a favorable public sympathy, even reprieve from his illegal acts, but it can only be a viable option if and only if Lozada's group is stronger than the present administration. As it appears right now, the group which Lozada aligned himself with, seems weaker than Arroyo's. Or, they may appear to be weak.

What baffles me is the nonchalance that Arroyo's mafia guys are showing right now. Are they expecting that nothing would amount to this outcry against Bolante? That there's already a plan to diffuse this circus surrounding the fertilizer fund scam?

The Way to Enlighten the Masses Against One-Woman Rule

There's an interesting thing going on over at Filipinovoices.com, a collective of Filipino bloggers. Over the past few days, there has been a flurry of exchanges between "fascists" and "anti-fascists", with the first salvo initiated by this so-called "High Priest of Smokes", who claims to be a lawyer with a big ego. His (or her?) arguments border from rational to insanely irrational. Obviously, HP is a staunch defender of the insane, err, Gloria, which, to his credit, seems understandable, given his so-called position in the administration. 

However, from all the trash that he wrote, one thing struck me as a valid observation which I'll be discussing here today--why is there no visible signs of dissent against Gloria? If we are to believe those who oppose her, the people oppose one-man rule. Yet, why is there no cogent opposition from the masses?

Yes, we hear members of civil society, former government officials and civic-minded intellectuals writing pieces against this regime. And yes, we always read stuff that reminds us of those evil times under Marcos. However, despite all of these revelations, the masses remain silent, like Orwell's sheep. 

Thinking about it, the answer lies in how civil society position their propaganda against one-man rule. Whenever we talk about "authoritarianism", "dictatorship" or "martial law", we always associate it with the former Marcos dictatorship, which is understandable, since it is the only regime that imposed martial rule. We have this penchant of always using this formula: martial rule=Marcos, or vice versa.

Yet, we fail to grasp that not all people equate bad things during the dictatorship with the Marcos brand name. In fact, over the past years, we see Marcos running just second in the list of most despicable Philippine leaders, shamelessly behind Gloria the Queen of Enchanted Kingdom. Meaning, for the masses, the concept of martial rule is not as equally bad as Gloria's rule. The People are trying to tell us something here.

What the people are trying to say is leave the brand name Marcos alone. If we are to succeed in convincing the people that martial rule or any authoritarian rule is evil, we need to associate the concept of authoritarianism with the loss of liberties under the present administration.

We need to portray Gloria as the head of a cult of fascists in barongs intent on perpetually governing a freedom-loving Nation. We need people to think and feel that their futures are in peril with the continued governance of these fascists. 

We need to tell the masses that the better concept that would at least ensure a bright future for everyone lies in the concept of the collective---that the future would be more secured if there's a group of leaders who serve as Vanguards of Democracy. The anti-thesis of the concept of one-man rule is collective governance. This concept should be explained more thoroughly to the masses to disabuse their minds that martial rule is not bad.