Who's afraid of Noli de Castro?

It was a very good move for President Arroyo to suddenly fly out of the country to attend the funeral of Malaysia's beloved first lady. Protestors had no time to send her off at the airport, and foreign world leaders who also went to condole with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would get the impression that all is well back home in RP, because its president could afford to be away.

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At the same time, it was also a very good move for the first gentleman, Mike Arroyo to sit down and spoonfeed his granddaughter at the VIP lounge of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport where all the media people and TV crew could tape the doting grandpa scene. Of course he could have fed Eva Viktoria on the plane, or somewhere out of sight, but then that would not land a photo on the front pages.

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Several columns back, I had noted this habit of the first gentleman of having his granddaughter pose with him whenever he is in a controversial position. This time, he must be sensing trouble again, what with the confessions of those Lanao del Sur former allies who have poured all into the ears of - of all media people - writers from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. Their revelations have now gone across the country, and the first gentleman is just in time to counter them.

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Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye has been promoted in Malacañang, he is now the Media Czar. Well, he deserves it, Philippine media has never ever seen or heard anyone like him, especially when he defends his boss. I'm sure the President knows she will need him more than ever, with all the problems coming up. But what is this rumbling about a possible ouster of House Speaker Jose de Venecia? Is it for real? So he is in the same boat as Senate President Franklin Drilon? What has de Venecia done that his own supposed colleagues would be attempting to replace him?

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As for Drilon, aside from having committed the mortal sin of calling for GMA's resignation together with Cory et al, there is also his own kasimanwa, and fellow senator Miriam Santiago who is eyeing the Senate presidency, a position that will place her second in the line of succession to the presidency. What about Noli de Castro? Anybody can tell you he will be no match for Miriam Santiago, even if he now happens to be Number Two.

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By the way, why are Filipinos so afraid of Noli de Castro that they will tolerate anything that President Arroyo will do? This one came from Babes Alvarez, who also asks, what if GMA dies, will we not have to put up with Noli, anyway? Indeed, we have to, since he is the rightful successor under the Constitution. And why shouldn't we like him if we also like Gloria? She must trust him and believe in him because she handpicked him over all the other vice-presidential wannabes last May. She must have seen in him a hidden capacity that others cannot see.

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Now it's the firemen who may have to answer for that hosing down at Mendiola. After a lot of arguments and discussions over liability for that "cannonization", somebody has turned the spotlight on the firemen who had lent support to the police by manning the water cannons. Seems the firefighters do not have any right under the Constitution, or in any law of the country, to battle protestors and rallyists, and hurt them in the process. Another problem for the Supreme Court to resolve?

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I think I can understand why former President Fidel V. Ramos sounded so peeved when he said that GMA should reform herself and that she should agree to shortening her term. Remember that when he rescued her by offering that solution during the height of the Hello Garci and Resign GMA calls, that was what he had virtually promised the people, which literally quieted them down. Now that GMA says there is no way she will leave her post before 2010 (and may even be planning for up to 2025 when RP will be transformed into Nirvana), poor FVR must feel he has lost face. Well, it's up to you, sir. You know how to deal with her.*

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