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Thursday, June 30, 2005
Mongaya: President’s apology
By Anol Mongaya
WAS President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo right in asking apology for calling an officer of the Commission on Election (Co- melec) during the May 2004 election canvassing? Given the circumstances, I don’t think she had a better option.
It was a calculated move to win over the silent majority that had so far stayed away from moves to stir up a popular uprising in Metro Manila.
Sure, several quarters close to the President advised her to stay mum. They believed President Arroyo could weather the political turmoil being stirred by her detractors. They thought the crisis could be diffused once the truth about the making of the tapes would surface.
And what is the truth? According to a source, there is such a gadget known as a voice converter. It is possible one was used to frame up President Arroyo.
Another possibility was the use of a cell phone scanner. A source said most intelligence agencies don’t have this sophisticated and expensive equipment.
They would rather get the cooperation of local service providers. But personnel of the former Paoctf had one. It reportedly was not turned over to the government.
Nevertheless, President Arroyo practically owned the “Hello Garci” tapes with her apology though she was careful in pointing out that her “lapse” involved calling a Comelec official to assuage her concern on the status of the counting. There was no cheating involved.
Note, however, that President Arroyo’s statement came after the opposition failed to muster the needed millions of people in two occasions.
When Independence Day was approaching, Sammy Ong appeared with his “mother of all tapes” and holed himself up at the San Carlos Seminary.
The move failed to attract crowds “to protect Ong,” who himself lost credibility when his source of the tape, T/Sgt. Vidal Doble, sang a pro-GMA tune.
Last weekend, the Left and the pro-Erap groups decided to join forces in a grand show of force. It only mustered some 7,000 people. Press photos of the mass action ironically showed more anti-riot cops who expected tens of thousands.
It can be said that the silent majority, though dissatisfied with President Arroyo, is not ready to support another people power uprising with nobody as a clear alternative. The public apology was a ploy to win the support of this silent majority.
On the other hand, the opposition is bent on frustrating President Arroyo’s bid for sympathy. The seemingly politically astute Susan Roces did not lose time in making her move. In a well-attended press conference complete with a cheering crowd, FPJ’s widow called President Arroyo “manhid” and “arogante” for allegedly failing to sense the people’s sentiment for her to step down.
Will the opposition succeed? I think they also have a problem in tapping the people power millions. Aside from the lack of an alternative, they are asking those who joined Edsa 2 to repudiate their heroic act by accepting the notion that it was simply a move to steal the presidency away from then president Joseph Estrada.
Roces herself quipped that President Arroyo stole the presidency twice thus linking the cause of correcting the alleged cheating in the May 2004 polls with that of Erap. Let’s see in the next few days if they can win over people power.
(superbalita@sunstar.com.ph or anol.blogs.friendster.com/anols_blog)
(June 30, 2005 issue)
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