No showing for Erap

All the leading Manila dailies published on their front pages the results of the Pulse Asia Survey saying that 65 percent of the Filipinos want President Arroyo to resign. Is that not seditious? That could encourage those who were only fence-sitting to have bad thoughts, you know. As for Pulse Asia, they will surely be slammed for being inaccurate, or worse, incredible.

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What should be hurtful is the added information in the survey results showing that former presidents Joseph Estrada, Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos even had higher trust ratings than the incumbent. The survey also noted that the trust rating of GMA is the lowest ever for any of the country's past presidents. That will not bother her, because, as she herself has declared, she is the best person to lead this country, especially during the transition to be authorized by the new Constitution.

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Another person who seems to be inviting trouble for himself is Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen. By the way, is he now lying low on the jueteng issue, or does he already believe that it has been eradicated completely? Anyway, he also made a seditious - well, maybe it's only libelous - statement. Asked what he thinks of GMA's statement that she is the best leader for the country, and that her presidency is according to the plan of God, the irreverent reverend said "With all due respect to the President, a good number of mentally deranged people also claim that they are God-sent". Will they let him get away with that?

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It now looks as if there will be "no showing" as far as Erap's trial is concerned. The public will miss a good show, unlike the time when the impeachment process was given full coverage by the media, TV especially. The Supreme Court has denied the request of former President Joseph Estrada to have his trial for plunder covered by TV so the people can see him defend himself from the charges. Maybe it was his own fault, because he had himself asked for no coverage during the early days of the case. The former actor must miss being in the kleig lights, maybe.

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But perhaps it is better that there is no coverage for Erap now. With the ongoing search for Gringo Honasan, the former army colonel and later senator, appears to be the star of the moment and interest will surely focus more on him. Especially with the P5 million offer of the palace to the one who captures him, my, Gringo is surely riding again. This is nothing new for Honasan, though. He'd been there, done that. He was also a fugitive during the time of President Aquino, was captured, held in a boat offshore, and made a Great Escape one Black Saturday. It's Lent again, and this could mean a repeat of history. But the P5 million can make a difference. Is the reward money meant for Gringo DEAD OR ALIVE, by the way?

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Meanwhile, government workers should not be impatient about getting that additional allowance that is reportedly being proposed for them. If they wait a little longer, it may swell to an even bigger amount, with the various agencies bidding against each other. Remember that Malacañang had approved P1,000 for them? When it got to the Senate, that body tried to outdo them and made it P2,000. Now, I hear the House wants it to be P3,000. See? A little more bidding time, and they could reach P5,000, maybe. That is, if the release will not be made "subject to fund availability."

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There is no doubt that actor and politician Darius Razon deserves sympathy and condolences for the loss of his only remaining child, but perhaps we should look into the situation of the truck driver, alleged to have sideswiped Denver Razon and his friend's vehicle. The truck driver has come out and there seems to be truth in his statement that he never hit the car, although he saw it slam into the post and building when it overtook him. Indeed, reports said there was no damage to the truck, no sign that it had hit anything, while the car was a frightful wreck. The car was being driven by the girl, it was also reported. Was she an experienced driver, and did she have a license? Charges have reportedly been filed against the truck driver, but I hope justice is given to him.*

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