The Philippine Online Chronicles

On Tuesday, the last day for filing Certificate of Candidacy (COCs), we will finally know—It has been said that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) is running as a Congresswoman in Pampanga.  Why does this come as no surprise at all?

Earlier, palace allies merely denied this in the midst of the President’s frequent visits to Pampanga for projects as mundane as the opening or inauguration of some local infrastructure projects that could very well have just been attended by some local official. Allies were quick to defend her saying there is nothing political about her visits to Pampanga.

Okay, so no local project is too small in the national scheme of things to miss the favoured Pampanga daughter’s notice.  Certainly, there’s nothing wrong about frequently visiting one’s hometown per se, right?  After all, she is not the only national official to frequently visit her hometown whenever she feels the need to be home. If there’s any national official in dire need to feel good after another hard day of being lambasted by the press or setting another all time low on public trust ratings in the Social Weather Station (SWS) surveys, it has got to be PGMA (soon to be Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal Arroyo  (CGMA) now). But I digress.

PGMA running for Congress really comes as no surprise when instead of letting people make educated speculations to her “lower” political aspirations, she could have simply categorically denied the then-rumor at the earliest possible opportunity, especially in light of her frequent visits to her hometown and another botched attempt at amending the Constitution.

I agree that there is nothing in the law that prohibits a former President from running for another office lower than the Presidency.  But such a political move could only be considered as a backward step in the normal scheme of things. Normally, one aspires for lower public offices and moves up the political ladder, with the Office of the President as the pinnacle.  It is somewhat hard to digest the idea that a President whose claim on the Presidency is marred by controversies beginning with its legitimacy (hello Garci), ZTE and failed ally-backed attempts to amend the Constitution to switch from a presidential to a parliamentary form of government is only running for Congress for love of Pampanga.

The pros and cons of a switch to this form of government aside, I think what really makes this option unpalatable to many is that it can perpetuate a Prime Minister’s hold on power so long as he/she has the majority support of the member of parliament. This is not a far-flung scenario given that a huge majority of congressmen or would-be members of parliament are allied with the President’s or would-be Prime Minister’s dominant party. Their track record does not allay such fears. Plus, how many times have we attempted to rid ourselves of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo? I’ve counted a people power, impeachment attempts and Jun Lozada explosives until we are relegated to waiting out the end of her term.

Much as I am horrified by the prospect of yet seeing GMA in the congressional halls, I am almost certain of her winning in Pampanga.  Majority of the Philippine archipelago may be against her, but she has a stronghold in Pampanga akin to the Marcoses in Ilocos. I am horrified at the prospect that in a David vs. Gloriarath scenario, alas, Gloriarath will emerge victorious. I’m horrified at the prospect of a successful move to amend the Constitution all to switch to a parliamentary system with her at its helm.  I’m horrified at the prospect the statement someone made that we get the leaders we deserve because I believe we deserve better.

Feel the horror, answer the plea. Bad things happen when good people let them.

Photos: “gloria macapagal arroyo” by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved