Monday, February 18, 2008 Nalzaro: An exercise in futility By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
PEOPLE coming from various sectors are again calling for President Arroyo to step down in view of the recent corruption scandal that is rocking her administration brought about by the aborted National Broadband Network (NBN) deal between the government and the ZTE Corp. of China. Anti-Arroyo rallies were simultaneously held in Makati City and in other key cities in the country, including here in Cebu, last Friday.
Well, here we go again. Perhaps it is the same group—same organizations, same personalities—that supported Edsa 2, which saw the ouster of President Joseph Estrada, that is again demanding Arroyo’s resignation. But their numbers are not that big—compared to those who participated in Edsa 2—to force Arroyo to step down. All their actions are just an exercise in futility.
Why? Because Arroyo refuses to heed their calls. Besides, she is not directly involved in the NBN-ZTE deal that is being capitalized and hyped by her critics and the opposition. The so-called whistleblowers, Joey De Venecia III and Rodolfo Lozada Jr., did not implicate the President, only her husband First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and resigned Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos. And former Neda director General Romulo Neri could have held the “ace” on Arroyo’s alleged involvement, but he too refuses to implicate the President.
Well, the public perception is that the President could have had knowledge on the alleged influence peddling of her husband or perhaps she utilized him and Abalos as “fronts” to gain a commission. But her critics have to prove that. Public perception and hard evidence are two different things, especially in the criminal prosecution. A head of state, especially if he or she is elected by the people, will not just resign due to bad public perception or because there are sectors that want him or her to step down.
In other countries, especially those under a parliamentary form of government, their prime minister can immediately resign because they are only elected in the parliament and not by the general public. If our President heeds the call to resign, then we’ll have a new leader everyday because there are groups or sectors that will always stage rallies and demonstrations and demand that the chief executive resign. Alegriha kaha no?
We have a constitutional process to follow to boot the occupant of Malacañang. And that’s through an impeachment process. Edsa 1 and 2 were extra constitutional because it was a “people power” backed by a military component. If the military had not been divided during those historical times, I doubt the two Edsas would have succeeded. But why are some sectors, especially the middle class, missing in the call for Arroyo’s resignation, unlike during the Marcos and Estrada’s regimes?
Maybe they think that it is just an exercise in futility because Arroyo will not dare to resign. Perhaps they think that nothing had been substantially achieved when we changed leaders through the two People Powers. The defective political system we had and the social and economic problems, like poverty, continue to exist. Or they might think that there is no alternative and capable leader to succeed Arroyo.
There is even a theory that the savior of Arroyo against “people power” is Vice President Noli De Castro.
Some sectors, especially the business community and the academe, have been passive. They know that if she resigns, Noli is her constitutional successor. And they don’t believe Noli is capable of running the affairs of government. So why not just wait till 2010? I think it’s a valid observation.
