Ebdane and Puno charged with MONUMENTAL PLUNDER

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago just recommended the filing of graft and plunder charges against former DPWH secretary and now, self-proclaimed "labor and peasants" party presidential bet Hermogenes Ebdane. Included as the principal in Santiago's charge sheet is Dodie Puno, the brother of Santiago nemesis Ronnie Puno of DILG. The two sheenanigans were charged with plundering the Road Users' Tax. How much is involved? 60.5 billion pesos of our monies. Wow. "Apocalytic Corruption" indeed.

Santiago's main point is that Ebdane and Puno allowed the anomalous use of the Road User's Tax in scandalous circumstances, transferring funds collected from the tax, and using it to allegedly "fatten the wallets" of both Puno and Ebdane.

The report of Santiago is so detailed that it even includes juicy details of the ala "rich and famous" lifestyle of Dodie Puno. Santiago blamed the two for the monumental disaster called Ondoy, which killed 1,000 and left millions homeless.

“I accuse those crooks of the crime of terminal corruption. They are ghouls, they are vampires, and they should spend the rest of their lives in jail, for they have violated the laws of civilized society, the laws of nature and the laws of God"

With Santiago's charge, speculations are rife that Ebdane, who proclaimed his bid for the presidency yesterday, is just making a mockery of justice. Ebdane, who resigned as DPWH secretary might have proclaimed the bid to skirt the corruption issue and prevent it from infecting the entire Arroyo administration. Others say that Ebdane should be prevented from running in the elections since it is now highly suspicious how he got the money to spend for his electoral bid. Many believe that Ebdane is now using those anomalous billions he got from the Road User's Tax and diverted it to fund his election machinery. Remember that election funds are still unaccountable.



Dodie Puno, says Santiago, used the Road User's Tax to spend lavishly on his girlfriends and alleged paramours, despite having a family of his own. Puno reportedly owns two yatchs, purchased under suspicious circumstances, numerous expensive condominiums, expensive luxury vehicles and host lavish parties for his friends.

Leaders who want to lead

Two old faces but positioning themselves as alternatives. Let's analyze these fine gentlemen, shall we?

Chiz Escudero bolted from the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) and found refuge with the progressives and reformists. Hermogenes Ebdane resigned from the Arroyo administration and proclaimed himself head of the Philippine Labor and Peasant Party, a duly accredited political party. Escudero is still trying to form his, while Ebdane found solidarity with so-called laborers and peasants headed by no less than Villegas who belonged to the propertied class and him, as formerly the voice of the Gunless society. Talk about heading the laborers and peasants which he, Ebdane, does not belong. Ebdane is neither a laborer nor a peasant.

Escudero is positioning himself as the voice of the Youth and of those who aspire for change, while Ebdane represents himself and possibly, the Ramos' group. Escudero is young. Ebdane has served for 40 years. What's the difference? And who is the true alternative candidate?

Neither one befits the title of the leader of the progressive groups. For neither one really struggled for real change.

Escudero is no Voltaire Garcia of Alpha Phi Beta (APB), nor even a David Celdran. He is a gifted speaker, but shows a lack of vision. His stands are proletarian, but for truth or convenience, we simply cannot judge for he speaks in layers of layers of innocuousness.

Ebdane is no Ramos nor even a Magsaysay. Ebdane is Ebdane. He represents the interests of a highly-entrenched organization whose mission is protect the existing way of life. There is no ideology in his every bone, Ebdane simply wants to run because he knows the system without saying that he also knows how to overthrow it. Ebdane, is, the epitome of a person whose existence counts nothing except when used for pseudo-revolutionary work.

Ebdane is an expert in networking; Escudero counts as his expertise in rah-rah sis boomba. Escudero marshalls no one, Ebdane networks no one except a few. Two faces wanting to lead but they simply don't have the masses with them.

Who deserves to lead? Is it Noynoy Aquino, the necropolitician, or the self-proclaimed champion of the masses, Erap Estrada? Is it Gibo who refuses to see the bad and always mouth the self-perceived good? Or maybe, Manny Villar, whose philosophy is simply pay off anybody who wants to hinder his way to the presidency?

It is this prospect that puts the entire Philippine democracy in jeopardy, the stark prospect of our country heading towards uncharted waters. Blame those who wants to lead but without the proper vision. And blame those who are leaders but simply refuse to take the cudgels of leadership.

Fidel's boy makes a bid for the presidency & 40 years of disservice to the Motherland

And so we were proven true once again---former DPWH secretary Hermogenes Ebdane is serious after all. Ebdane is running for president. And he's courting the endorsement of former president Fidel V. Ramos.

The former poster boy and "umbrella" kid of the former AFP Chief of Staff who successfully became president, is courting Ramos' endorsement. And of all people, it is Ramos whom he wants as his backer. And will he be the one whom Ramos said would be his candidate for 2010? What's wrong with Gibo, Mr. Ramos?

Ebdane boasts of his 40 years in public service. I know somebody who dedicated fifty years of his life for public service and he died without ever changing anything. I was referring to my grandfather, who once worked as a janitor at the DPWH.

Anyway, that's not the way to convince us, Mr. Ebdane, of your eligibility for the presidency. In fact, your 40 years is a liability. Think about it. You have been in the public limelight for 40 years yet, you did not even lift a finger to arrest the further slide down of this country in terms of graft and corruption and even poverty.

You fought the insurgents, yes. But, is that what you call record? The insurgency is still here. And it's even growing. Anything worthwhile to say about how you did when you were a young lieutenant in Mindanao?

Ebdane boasts of his knowledge of the system. Well, being part of this decrepit system for more than 40 years makes him really, an expert AND part of the rotten-ness of it. Ebdane did not even lift a single finger fighting and killing those big-time gamblers, big-time jueteng lords and big-time corrupt gangs and syndicates. Ebdane did not even prosecute those big construction firms who formed the DPWH mafia.

Is Ebdane saying that he knows how to fight them because he once count himself as member of this humongous mafia? In his years as DPWH secretary, did we ever hear of a single big fish jailed or even killed? I know of some killed for spilling the beans.

And what's the relevance of Ramos in the scheme of things except leading a series of corrupt deals, of billions of pesos spent and stolen for projects which did not happen or of frustrations and spurned idealisms?

Ebdane wants Ramos' blessing and anointment, a sign that he adheres to the principles of the former general who betrayed his cousin. Good if he just wants that old cigar-thumping gang who propelled Ramos to the presidency to be his backers, but they are, as I said, old and still thumping.

Electing Ebdane as president is like expressing preference to the decrepit and humongous monster called Philippine system. Ebdane, with his forty years, is the epitome of 40 years of frustration, tears and blood. He personified the system which every single one of us wants out of our lives.

Ebdane is dangerous

DPWH secretary Hermogenes Ebdane wants the presidency. He says 15 governors want him to run and contest Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro as the administration bet. Everyone knows, and that includes Ebdane, that the chances of winning even the nomination of the administration party is practically nil.

That only shows that Ebdane's alleged desire to run is just a trial balloon or worse, a direct affront against the Kampi dominated LAKAS-KAMPI merged party.

We must, however, be extremely cautious because Ebdane is a dangerous man. Dangerous in the sense that he represents a group of very powerful generals. He represents the faction that brought Mrs. Arroyo to power and that means, former generals Mendoza and Reyes.

These generals belong to PMA classes 1969, 1970, 1971, which stand to lose considerable power in a post-Arroyo world. These classes do not loom large in any of the political parties of the strongest contenders.

For example, in Manny Villar's camp, PMA Class 1976 dominates most of his supporters. In Noynoy's camp, there are members of PMA Classes 1980 and 90's classes. In Chiz Escudero's camp, members of some PMA Classes are also within the NPC structure.

Ebdane is one of the most favored officers of former president Fidel V. Ramos. Most people would probably consider his pronouncement as a shallow one, but it means something more sinister.

The message that Ebdane's group wants to say is this---the merged party, PALAKA, has to find other sources of campaign funds.

It also shows that the possibility of violence in next year's elections is a certainty.

Palace to make a move against Gibo soon?

Senator Frank Drilon, citing sources from the palace, says that Secretary Ebdane will head the Department of Defense (DND)--a move interpreted as a precursor to the declaration of martial law in the Philippines. What's curious is the expected "lateral" transfer of Defense secretary Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro to the Justice department, with now current head Agnes Devenadera to go back to her solgen post.

Why the justice department for Gibo? Is he not an effective soldier anymore for Gloria? Probably because of his strong public condemnation of martial rule yesterday, when he said that there's no such thing and he'll be first to oppose it, same stance as former president Fidel V. Ramos. Or, possibly, Gloria is afraid that Teodoro is gaining more and more adherents not just in the military, but moreso in civil society. I, myself, admired Teodoro's grit. He seems to be the perfect leader, having a good grasp of things and with a good and strong heart.

Maybe Teodoro is being eased out because he's getting bigger than his boss. Being a professional in Arroyo's Cabinet is not an admirable trait. What Gloria wants and likes are dogs. These people serve her well and calms her troubled mind.

Or possibly, maybe the justice portfolio is more apt for Gibo, since the post is more "controversial" and one can get more publicity juice out of it. Or, maybe, Gloria suspects that some group within the Cabinet is sabotaging her and wants a Honduran solution soon?

I asked my classmate what he thinks and he says that Gibo and Gloria are not seeing eye-to-eye anymore after Gibo's lavish birthday party. Gloria was not there, but her Cabinet members were. That party was interpreted by close Arroyo associates as a virtual Munich Putsch. Remember that even Executive secretary Eduardo Ermita was there to toast for Gibo.

An Oddity

It's so odd that, a few months prior to her downfall, err, the end of her term, Gloria is still making all these moves. Ebdane was formerly PNP chief and commands his own men inside the Philippine National Police (PNP) and AFP. Like DOTC secretary Leandro Mendoza, Ebdane was one of those who remained loyal to Madame, because they're friends of her husband, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

Ebdane remains very relevant to Mrs. Arroyo since his former subordinates now occupy highly sensitive posts within the AFP and PNP.

Consolidating power for what?

For an administration with a few months left, it's totally suspicious why the sudden re-shuffle. Is Gloria easing those not in her inner circle anymore and moving to consolidate all power to her group? Teodoro revealed that he's not too privy to what Arroyo thinks anymore, a possible sign of disengagement to the power center. (some say that the reshuffle will happen shorly during or after Arroyo's trip to Egypt)

Why consolidate power when you're virtually a lameduck at this point, except that you're preparing for something big soon?

The transfer of Ebdane, Arroyo's closest general, says something. This is actually an indirect admission that internal squabbles are really happening within the military establishment, for both glory and gold.

The defense department has a say on appointments in the AFP. With the current wrangling within the military and police, Arroyo probably sees the need to appoint someone very close to her so that her favored PMA class gets the top posts even while AFP Chief of Staff General Victor Ibrado stays as head.

The plan really is to undermine the leadership of Ibrado, subverting him by snatching the ranks beneath him, while allowing him to act as Chief of Staff. This is reminiscent of the moves by Lacson's group when he allowed his men to undermine then PNP Chief Roberto Lastimoso's leadership while allowing Lastimoso to "act" as PNP chief.

Bombings related to efforts to "delimit" Gibo's power as defense sec?

Arroyo's men know that its hard to dislodge Gibo from his seat, given his rising popularity. What would, however, justify this?

Instability. As what I wrote previously, this administration thrives in destabilization. It always gets what it wants shortly after a destabilized situation.

By creating a destabilized environment, Malacanang can now justify the removal of Gibo from defense and transfer him to the justice portfolio. The question really is---what's next?

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