Reading the no impeachment vote allowed me to reflect on the presidentiables.
Davide did seem like the loneliest man of late. GMA was weak to stand aside: she had a chance to galvanize support for her coming elections, as I see it, by standing by the side of the man who swore her in. At least all the ruckus took the public's eye off her husband and Panfilo Lacson.
But I recognize Davide as the victim of an opposition witchhunt, the kind Joker Arroyo did to Erap and what got him (a man named Joker) elected to a Senate seat. The opposition didn't quite succeed, but they did get the word out on Dirty Davide. What Davide owes the public is an explanation. Maybe the proponents of the impeachment could seek retribution in civil courts. Plunder, I think, is the operative word.
So, it's brought to my centerscreen the state of affairs in Philippine government, and how all this infighting cascades down to how the rest of the economy and the country operates. Security issues rise, and, while the tragedy still echoes hard in my mind, you can stop blaming terrorists for these problems: kidnapping is up, the peso is down, investors are walking away, the Makati Business Club orders a moratorium on the country's leading newspaper, and the control tower of our busiest airport becomes the scene of a live, on-air carnage. Meanwhile, garbage is heaping up and many in the provinces still have no food, electricity or education.
It's so easy to get depressed about the Philippines. But, to keep a long story short, let me limit my thoughts to next year's presidential elections.
It used to be that with Ramos and Erap, at least the government -- in its swindles, rackets, gimmicks and rubouts -- was organized. Ramos even turned out to be a fine economist (a left-leaning Republican). I don't know, maybe it was the "tough guy" attitude, but GMA is known to be tough too. At least it seemed that Erap controlled all the thugs (by becoming one?), and Ramos, the military. Ramos even achieved what no president had and since has: prolonged peace in Mindanao. Alas, Erap signed with witnesses to see. And Ramos couldn't run twice.
Which is why someone like Danding or Lacson looms large as an effective leader: autocratic, but able. Won't get caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Danding, with his Big Boss presence, and the vast competence to steer San Miguel and turn it into one of the largest food conglomerates in Southeast Asia. Lacson who has served in Narcotics, Intelligence and the PNP for the last four presidents and has managed to stay out of the radar when he needs to, and obviously, by dint of his police privileges, has the lowdown on pretty much every other candidate there is out there (with the exception of Noli de Castro). Both candidates have the will and the muscle to steer an economy and probably shake the tree hard enough for all the peace and order problems to fall off, without breaking the bough. And either one will probably be able to gain the respect of the two other houses and the Makati Business Club. Cojuangco would remind the foreign press of Tony Soprano so much, he'd be an instant hit.
Asked to choose a candidate, I'd probably vote for Danding. Sure, he's a Marcos crony, but I like his "small ball" views on the economy, and he knows how to surround himself with talented and driven people. He's definitely scrappy. But he's not running. So, we're back to choosing the lesser evils.
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