Four women and 1017

The latest report I got last night was that the government will not arrest the five members of Congress supposed to be members of the plot against the Arroyo administration. Out of respect for the chamber, it was said, the Justice Department will first subject them to preliminary investigation before issuing the arrest warrants against them.

Oh? I thought we are all entitled to equal treatment before the law?

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Meanwhile, listen to the women. They are the ones who are not fazed by the threats against their freedom by the onerous Proclamation 1017. There is former President Cory Aquino who, even if she is sounding like a broken record, continues to chant "Make the supreme sacrifice, resign" like a mantra. Then, too, there is FPJ's widow, the beauteous and feisty Susan Roces, who snorted "And she says she is the best person to lead this country - is this the best?", uncaring that she may be charged for making seditious statements, too.

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Remember that she had also cried furiously that somebody had stolen the presidency "not once, but twice…" sometime last year. The time element will not save her, look at Gringo Honasan, his misdemeanor in year 2003 is what is being thrown against him now. There's also Satur Ocampo, wasn't that a 20-year-old alleged offense that is being raked up against him? Dear Susan, it's only Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez who thinks you are too beautiful to be jailed, others in the cabal may not think so.

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And then there's another one, the redoubtable daughter of the original master of Martial Law. This one, now a congressman, also angrily hits the author of Proclamation No. 1017 for being - in her own words, ha - "a second-rate, trying-hard copycat" of her late daddy's ideas. Maria Imelda, a.k.a. Imee Marcos, is not her mother's junior for nothing. I'm sure she is also mad that 1017 even has her dad's lucky number in it. Girls, girls, remember that you are dealing with another woman, who may try to outdo what men have done.

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But what is this? The Senate has just released its findings on the P728 million fertilizer scam and saying that the charges to be filed should include the President herself because she is accountable for it. Oh my. Aren't they afraid that Sen. Joker Arroyo's prediction of another proclamation might come true, and that it would target them? The report read out by Sen. Jun Magsaysay was signed by 17 senators, and they claim the President is responsible, as well, for mismanaging the fund.

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Oh, Magsaysay also read out portions saying that the President is liable for "breach of official duty by non-feasance, and betrayal of public trust" which, he also said, are impeachable offenses. Oh dear. Are we going through that all over again? Stand by, attorney what's-your-name, the one who pre-empted the congressmen by filing his case ahead of them. You may have to take on a starring role again. By the way, one may not always agree with Sen. Arroyo, the one whose name is Joker, but seldom jokes, but he came out with a new term yesterday when he referred to what is happening now as "presidential terrorism". Cute, no?

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I almost forgot the other woman, I mean, another female who continues to be a thorn in the presidential side. She's the ornery editor of the now famous Daily Tribune that, they say, had its circulation zooming to unbelievable heights after the unceremonious visit to its offices by the police team fielded by the equally unceremonious Chief Arturo Lomibao (sorry for misspelling his name yesterday). I wonder that other newspapers with minuscule circulation will be blessed by such a visit?

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At this point, I hope they make good the threat to charge Cory Aquino and one or two of the reckless females mentioned earlier. Imagine what a sensational impact the photo of Cory, glowing in yellow Laban colors, standing behind bars in Fort Bonifacio could make. I'm sure I will fly to Manila myself to ensure that I take personally a historical photo. That should be as valuable to history as the one of Ninoy sprawled on the tarmac with his blood forming a puddle underneath his white-clad body. It could be worth going through a state of emergency, you see.*

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