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Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Editorials: Nothing but talk
People have long criticized politicians for talking too much, which is what they are doing on the issue of the continued holding of protest actions on the streets.
Those in the Arroyo administration and the political opposition are guilty of it.
An example: Malacañang’s floating the idea of clamping down dissent, which takes the form of a stricter policy on rallies, can be considered nothing but talk in the sense of its being difficult to implement.
In response, the political opposition warned about the possible declaration of martial law by the Arroyo administration, something that is more in the realm of speculation and propaganda than anything else.
Indeed, President Arroyo can dream of imposing a “no permit, no rally” policy or even order the breaking up of every protest action that forms in the streets, but reality is a different matter altogether.
Implementing that needs, on the one hand, broad and unified machinery for repression and, on the other hand, a docile people — a situation akin to the early years of military rule of then dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
But the Arroyo government is one fractious entity, with the President herself able to stay in power only because the various factions propping her up, including those in the police and military, are giving her grudging support.
Even now, some of these factions in the Arroyo administration are openly opposing plans to clamp down dissent.
Meanwhile, you have a people that already have an experience in toppling two governments and groups of veteran street parliamentarians and militants that are willing to engage government in a battle of wills.
This is also why the warning of the opposition that President Arroyo is poised to declare martial law sounds empty. Clamping down dissent is even difficult to implement, how much more total repression?
Is the worst over?
It looks like the Arroyo administration is getting back the swagger it lost following the “Hello Garci” tape scandal.
Officials are now talking about the President having “lived through the worst” of her rule. But has she?
While the exposés and the protest actions seem to have abated, there is no indication that Arroyo’s hold on power has strengthened or that the strength of the political opposition and even of the destabilizers has weakened.
Since the situation has remained volatile, there is as yet no reason for the Arroyo administration to lapse into overconfidence.
(September 27, 2005 issue)
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