Today is D-Day

In military lingo, they call invasion day as D-day. That's for debarkation. Well, to a certain extent, today's session of the House of Representatives may determine whether Speaker Joe De Venecia will depart from the speaker's dais.

There was a hint that Joe De Venecia may have realized his opponents have the numbers. He has changed his former bellicose stand to that statement that he was prepared to concede to whoever gets the vote.

I doubt very much whether a showdown will bring about a bitter match between Jo DeV's forces and those of the opposition.

I suspect there will just be a headcount by De Vencia and those speaking to oust him. Then, without bitterness or rancor, the speaker may just throw the towel or avoid more lasting bitterness.

The problem, however, will fall on the head of the administration, particularly President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

Despite efforts by the administration to gloss over the ZTE deal as having to do with the Speaker's ouster, hardly anybody believe that this is not a vengeful move to punish De Venecia for having allowed his son, Joey, to expose the ZTE deal and the claims of bribery.

Despite the repeated attempts to distance himself from son, Joey, De Venecia also riled Malacañang by his having posited the need for a moral regeneration. That is precisely interpreted to mean that the administration must return to the high ground in its moral posture.

Although the language used remain civil, there was no misinterpreting that it also could mean a disturbing amend to the opposition's repeated harping on the lack of morality of the administration for the series of major anomalies.

Not that De Venecia himself is exempt from the charge. Remember he just had the issue of his Landoil deals in the Middle East raked once more in the public despite the clearance of the House leader.

And Joey himself, lately returned to the country purportedly to testify in the Senate on the ZTE hearing, only to back out and appeal to the De Venecia forces not to drag the speaker into the controversy. He even pointed out that Joe DeV had gone out of his way to dissuade him from talking again on the deal.

But the die had been cast. The President's two sons—Rep. Mikey and Diosdado (Dato) – were quoted as having resented the act of having their father maligned in public. So with Rep. Iggy Arroyo, the presidential brother-in-law.

Malacañang went out of its way to distance the President from the House move. They even went out of their way to prove the golf game yesterday among Joe DeV, the President and former President Fidel V. Ramos as more of a make or break powwow.

But apparently that may have resulted in a standoff despite the warning by Ramos on its implication if the ouster is pushed through.

So, all we can do now is wait and see how things shape up today.*

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