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Thursday, October 06, 2005
Wenceslao: Arroyo’s hawkish drift
By Bong O. Wenceslao
There is reason for critics of President Arroyo to be worried about where her rule is headed. It’s not only about the “no permit, no rally policy” a.k.a calibrated preemptive response (cpr) and Executive Order 464, also labeled “gag order.” It’s also about the Arroyo camp waging a counter-offensive of accusations against some opposition leaders.
The government’s slow but sure shift to a hawkish stance may surprise some people, but on closer look it can be considered a consequence of the prevailing setup. For one, the resignation of the “Hyatt 10” took away representatives of civil society groups in the Cabinet, allowing a different “We Bulong” Brigade to surround the President.
Meanwhile, the failure of the political opposition and militant groups to intensify the protest actions after the House of Representatives dismissed the impeachment complaints against President Arroyo exposed the anti-Arroyo forces as nothing but a bag of hot air. That apparently gave reason for Arroyo administration to get back its swagger.
Consider, too, that there are sectors, like business, that have grown tired of the political tug-of-war and are pushing politicians to address the more important concerns of the country, like the economic ones. This counter-current has grown the past few weeks and must have not been lost on the hawks in government pushing for the stifling of dissent.
But it’s not that anti-Arroyo forces are helpless in stopping the administration’s effort to further reduce the current democratic space. Militants, for example, are testing government’s resolve to implement the CPR out there in the streets. And there are still available options, like going to the Supreme Court and other reliable institutions.
What I am saying is that by launching a counter-offensive, the Arroyo administration is raising the intensity of the political conflict and testing the strength of the democratic processes in place after the 1986 Edsa uprising. Who will prevail in this conflict will determine this country’s future direction.
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We all have heard complaints about unwanted cell phone gimmicks, but this one had me cursing yesterday. I was supposed to text somebody when I noticed a “Nestle” promo scroll continuously on the display of my cell phone. (The message was like those announcements that TV stations run at the bottom of TV monitors.)
It was the first time I received such a cell phone gimmick, and it was very irritating. Surely, nobody would want their cell phones continuously display promos of companies. I therefore ask Globe to stop the practice or they will lose one of their long-time subscribers.
(khanwens@yahoo.com/0927-2055064)
(October 6, 2005 issue)
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