Mar Roxas and the Wrong Way to Padyak

Modes of transport have been used in the past as political communication tools. In 1998, former president Joseph Estrada rode a JEEP on the way to Malacanang. Former Speaker Joe de Venecia had his "jet" to spite Erap, but crashed with just 16% of the votes. He had his jet alright, but not enough gas to even land in NAIA.

And here comes Mar Roxas, seen pedalling a "padyak", a local, all human powered tricycle in a television commercial. First scene shows Mar inside the padyak, talking with the young padyak driver. Young kid had forgettable dialogue. Kid had to sing a song to delight his esteemed passenger, a senator.Then scene cuts with Mar Roxas pedalling the padyak himself and saying " let's continue the fight."

See the raison d'etre? I don't.

Look, for all these years as a legislator, it was only now that Mar wants to assume the driver position. For years, he, together with a band of legislators, self-proclaimed saviors and elite landlords allowed that boy to peddle his way to the dirty and dangerous streets of Manila. Mar, and those working for laws which we don't use in that "hallowed" sanctuary called the Senate, even had the gumption to glorify that kid pedalling a padyak, when, in other countries, that's plain and simple child labor. Is Mar aware that kids are not supposed to work until 18 years old? Is Mar saying that he knew this hard reality but it'll be just now that he wants to act on it, a year before the elections?

The very fact that he rode that padyak shows you how insensitive Mar is when it comes to this socio-economic reality. By riding that padyak, he made himself a party into this tragic invincible and socially acceptable practice of child labor. Why only now Mr. Senator that you want to replace that young driver?

It could have been better if Mar's commercial started with him pedalling the padyak, with those kids inside the trike. That would show that he has only the welfare for the masses. That would show that his heart belongs in the right place.

But, no. Mar began his crusade on the wrong side of the padyak. Imagine, after all these years of serving as our Senator, he was not able to provide a law that would help impoverished padyak kids go to school and off the streets?

Another thing---yes, a padyak is a symbol of Filipino ingenuity. Yet, it is also a stark symbolism of backwardness. It's slow, cumbersome and plain and simple, stupid to run.

Is Mar now saying that he'll use the padyak to symbolize his administration? That, it'll be backward, slow to act, cumbersome to many and simply stupid to run? Yes, many would argue that a padyak is the Pinoy's answer to global warming but if we are to use this as a symbol for our growth and development, then, we need to analyze our heads.

It could have been better if we saw Mar riding a solar or water powered car invented by a Filipino. Imagine Mar driving a mini-bus with a water-powered engine invented by a Pinoy, with a throng of Filipinos, representative of our society behind him. Or Mar wearing a racer's suit with the country's tricolors, behind the wheel of a Pinoy invention of a solar powered race car? That would have rocked our world.

But, no. Mar had to settle for a padyak to peddle his way to the corridors of power.

Erap to be jailed again?

How true are these reports percolating within groups and coffee shops in Manila about the impending re-arrest and possible re-detention of former president Joseph Estrada? Estrada is reportedly to be arrested and jailed again for possible complicity in the BW scandal, involving one of his closest friends, Dante Tan.

Today, the Court of Appeals just overturned the 2007 decision by the RTC of Pasig dismissing the case against Tan, etal. Many view this as the start of an aggressive campaign by the administration to create the necessary conditions for a State of Emergency. It seems that hawks within the palace are hell-bent on extending the "benevolent" term of Mrs. Arroyo. They are lifting all stops.

Will Estrada and his forces allow this to happen? Surely, what the administration expects to happen is the heightening of political noise. Lately, there has been a dearth of political news, except of course, news about charter change.

Lakas and KAMPI have just decided to merge in preparation for the 2010 elections. Prospero Nograles and Luis Villafuerte just resigned their posts as party presidents. Nograles said it is now up to the president to marshall her men and her resources to resolve contentious party matters. Sources say Arroyo is sure to succumb to the temptation, even instructing her closest advisers to control the release of congressional funds.

Now, going back to Erap....it seems that his declaration to lead the charter change movement is a subterfuge meant as a countermeasure against the possible administration-led attack against him. Palace allies are determined not to allow Erap to re-establish his political machinery for a possible political comeback in 2010. Reports that one of Erap's trusted grassroots adviser and ideologue have been touring the country to again revive the successful JEEP IN ERAP has been deemed a "security matter" by the palace. These reports have sent chills down the spine of the Arroyo group, even some members of the Lakas faction of FVR. Note that Erap and Ramos have not reconciled since the latter ousted him from power in 2001. Erap once used his presidential powers to prosecute Ramos for the many controversial scandals in his time.

Some members of Lakas are determined to prevent a repeat of the Estrada presidency. They learned their lesson in 1997 when they allowed Erap to do his thing. Now, they are in the same position, albeit a better one since Ramos and his men already learned their bitter lesson in late 1992 when Ramos gave the anti-crime post to Erap.

Will Erap's re-arrest spark an Edsa tres? Will people go to the streets to defend Erap from his prosecutors?

Though I am in the opposition, my prognosis is categorical---there will be no Edsa tres. No protests will be seen in the streets. No armed encounters will happen between state and dissident forces. Mrs. Arroyo and her minions will get what they want. If it's cha-cha they want, they'll surely get it. If it's martial rule that they want, they'll will surely implement it. And if the people within Erap's camp hope to make a comeback in Malacanang, they will surely be frustrated.