Of overkills and third forces

Developments in the country make interesting study of the political culture of the Filipino. For example, the recent spate of suspensions, dismissals (which are "immediately executory"), take-over of capitols and city halls, reveals a "berdugo" concept of power by the administration. So ugly is the exercise of it that even pro-administration politicians are turned off. But on the side of the powers-that-be, there is a certain science or explanation to all this muscle-flexing. First, it is calculated to send a "chilling effect" to those who are minded not to toe the line. Adverse public opinion will be remedied by vote-buying, but right now, the logic seems to go, let everyone know that anyone who stands in the way will be bulldozed, rammed through, rolled over, smashed.

The no-permit-no-rally policy, the concept of emergency powers, the way the impeachment complaints were killed, the series of libel cases filed by the First Gentleman against journalists who made unsavory remarks about him (although I also understand him), the concept of the anti-terrorism drive whereby even tanods would be armed with high-powered rifles, all have a common streak to them: that no one should mess with the "strong republic". It is not clear whether it is also an honest republic, an ethical republic (Garci an administration bet for congressman in Bukidnon, remember?), a serious republic (Pacquiao for congressman, or mayor, or vice mayor, or senator!), but it is most certainly a strong, nay, a very strong republic.

The latest show of this strength is the attempt to extract the Iloilo Governor from his office for offenses involving P20,000 and P60,000 of allegedly illegally applied or misapplied government money. (Why Chavit Singson, who is accused of plunder at P500M plus is still around, and why the Comelec commissioners who bungled and wasted people's money in the automated counting machine scam still lord it over the process, is a tongue-clucking, head-shaking, heart-stopping bafflement.)

Whatever it is, the bright boys of the administration believe that the loss in public opinion is to be offset by the super efficient electoral machinery that they will be able to put in place in these areas, (they call it "delivery systems") once the pests are put out of the way.

The counter-culture here of course is the Filipino penchant for the underdog. The colleagues of Tupas in the Governors' League all came to his rescue, so to speak. Footages of the "overkill" extraction attempt backfired. The Judiciary comes to the rescue of the beleaguered local leaders, with 60-day TROs, and the community heaves a sigh of relief.

There is no doubt about it. The election war has already begun. At the stage that it is in right now, it is a contest between power and pity. Swashbuckling versus sympathy. Truncheons versus tears. The lesson of EDSA I is that, when you put these forces head to head, the former has no match for the latter. And, if surveys are to be believed, the trend seems to be that pity, sympathy, and tears will carry the cause of the opposition on election day, at least, at the senatorial level.

But what of this third force? The idea of the third force emerged in the national scene when, ostensibly, some people refused to be boxed into a Gloria-versus-Erap paradigm. They say we are principled men and women. We are neither GMA nor Estrada. Others say it is more because they were not drafted into either the mainline administration or the opposition.

The opposition was the first to react to this reconfiguration. They say that the proponents of the third force are part of a plot of the administration to "divide and rule" the opposition.

Whatever it is, the Filipino voter must keep his cool, and watch and pray. And whether it is the first, the second, or the so-called third force, may the prevailing force be the force of right, and conscience, and good government, and love of country.

Amen.*