Who let the dogs out?

Honestly, I was to go out with a statement last week that Gloria need not tell the people that she is the voice behind the Gloriagate tapes, as doing so would just mean more tribulations for the country, the poor specially. It's a known fact-of-life anyway that cheating is part of the game. I guess I'm speaking too late now. Damage has been done, and further damage is expected in the days to come.

I saw the president apologize on TV last June 27. It's like watching a pivotal scene in a telenovela. I miss the days when all you can see on TV is a president, a plain blue background and the presindent's seal at the back when the highest authority on the land declares or announces something. Now, announcements made by the president needs real preparations: from the mood established by the makeup down to the pictures of grandchildren behind her. I heard a movie director has influenced this setup used for the public apology. Subliminal message is the essential key to affecting weakminded, and it seems Malacañang is well aware of this power convince (or to deceive?).

As the camera focuses on Gloria's sad face while making a personal appeal for forgiveness, I could not help but wonder: How are people taking this? This is a president asking for forgiveness on TV, for her so-called "lapse in judgement". Obviously, the real message is not to reveal, not to admit, not to explain. The real intent is to bring more questions to the already confused Filipino mind. Did she really admit a specific mistake in this public apology? "I'm sorry." For what? If she is pertainig to her lapse in judgement, then she admits that she's incompetence. Her incompetence to perform her tasks as president, even before being actually elected to the position, is the only thing established here. The Gloriagate scandal? Hueteng issue? Nah. For Gloria's minions, focusing a sad face on screen and the words "I'm sorry" is enough to melt your heart away. "I'm sorry" leads to immediate forgiveness, and forgiveness eventually leads to forgetting- that's what's expected. Anyway, forgive and forget is the only logical explanation why Philippine history gets screwed up repeatedly. I think iodized salt has an effect that is opposite to what is advertised.

I think I got her style now. Apologize, then brag about the accomplishments that she's done. Notice how she laid out (again) her so-called accomplishments since 2004 while the focus is removed from her face. Now, she's talking as president again. Now, it's like watching the EVAT commercial again. She's saying she's worth our forgiveness, as she did great for the country in the last few years. But question is: Does the Filipino feel any good in what she has done so far? She claims we got better economy now. The big question is- "NASAAN?!??!" She says we're getting rich, but is she pertaining to all of us?


Next step would be to put her family to exile. And they call this "sacrifice". She would sadly give up family life so that she could perform her duties well from now on. I call this CRAP:

1. Her husband, and probably his son Mikee, is going to the States. This, during the height of accusations against them regarding the Jueteng scandal. Instead of answering accusations, or facing the consequences of their actions, they decide to not to show their shameful faces here for a long time. And they call this sacrifice?! I call it bad eskapo. One that should be added to the list of misdeeds by the Macapagal-Arroyo clan.

2. Her husband, and probably his son Mikee, is going to the States. Going to the United States of America, for the common people, is like going to heaven. This is not sacrifice. This is vacation. (News broke out that Mr. Arroyo even did a stopover first in HongKong before heading straight to the US. Oh I see him and the rest of the family suffering in HongKong malls now! Whee.

3. Her husband, and probably his son Mikee, is going to the States so that she can perform her duties well. Huh?! What kind of reasoning is this? Does this tell us that all along, the family is to blame for her mistakes? Even so, does having a family on your back mean the inability to perform one's duties well? Again, I'd say her (or her adviser's) reasoning sucks.

4. Her husband is leaving for the benefit of the country. This, she said, after all the good things that he had done for public health, sports, etc. BAH! The scent of these petty achievements are outweighed by the stench that oozes out from his dirty past.

I just don't know how they let their family's name to rot either by false accusations, or real misdeeds that are probably shadows of the recent past. Or has power really corrupted their minds absolutely, that they don't even care how their names would be written in history books from now on?

Now, they say the next step would be to do a cabinet revamp. In the eyes of the people, I don't think that won't do any good anymore, if they're trying to gain the people's trust. Credibility has already been ruined. The only options now are: to show a REAL IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS to REAL ISSUES faced by the masses now, or resign and give others a chance to prove themselves since they're at it.

Although Mrs. Poe's public display of... uhm... anger is unnecessary, I don't blame her for going public recently. The FPJ side is the first victim of this "lapse of judgement". Having just survived the death of her husband, who must have brought the grudge to his grave, it's but natural for a wife to express her feelings in every way possible. And, oh boy, Casino Filipino is a good choice for the venue, and the Filipino's frustration a good choice for company.

She is correct, though, in many of her points. One: Before you gain the trust of foreign investors, you should gain the trust of your constituents first. Two: By admitting "lapse in judgement", this sounds like she did stole the presidency. Third: She's right in saying that the Filipino doesn't trust her anymore. She is nothing but empty promises and selfish lies in the eyes of the common Tao now.

I smell deep trouble in the coming days. E-VAT takes effect today, and as the Filipino is threatened further by poverty and more overwhelmed by dismay and lack of trust in the government, it's probably like Gloria had just signed her resignation letter. Everything will come naturally. Like Cory Aquino, I will not support another EDSA Revolution, specially now that we have no clear choice for her replacement and the opposition is divided by differing solutions to the issue. But we're talking about people's betrayal here. Although there's no impeachment trial to happen this time, I think the Force will always find a way to balance itself.

These days, we will truly miss Cardinal Sin. Although I know it's not that good a Filipino trait since religion should always be considered separate from the State, we always rely on what the Church would say regarding all these ruckus. It's somehow our way to search for answers from those who has access to conscience. Obviously, we've got lots of questions now, lots of answers, too. We need guidance, and since no clear answer is visible, we can only pray for our country for now, until someone really good stands up for what REALLY is right.