As I write this column Sunday afternoon (oct. 5), the latest information I got was that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano does not have 11 senators for his Senate presidency bid that would persuade the Villar brother-sister team to defect and complete a change of leadership.
Rumors have been swirling the past few days about the unrest in the Senate brought about by the horrifying revelations in the Ping Lacson-led Blue Ribbon Committee investigating anomalies in flood control projects that resulted in government losses reaching trillions of pesos (that’s 12 zeros). At least three incumbent and two former senators have been named. Names of some members of the House of Representatives have also been mentioned, notably former House speaker Martin Romualdez and resigned Bicol Ako party list representative and former chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, Zaldy Co.
Last Saturday (Oct. 4), my colleague Antonio Montalvan II posted on Facebook that “ALAN PETER CAYETANO is poised to become the new SENATE PRESIDENT if the minority’s coup will take place this Monday, October 6.”
He further said: “The aim of the coup, of course, is to cover up their complicity in the budget insertions. In the previous Senate, all senators benefitted from this grand robbery, except Risa Hontiveros and Koko Pimentel.
“Apparently, the massive Trillion Peso March did not scare these senators from their wits. More needs to be done.
“What can probably scare them? When another march will surround the Senate on Monday that will make them virtual hostages of the people’s demand for accountability that is now bordering on collective anger?”
Two days before Montalvan’s post Sen. JV Ejercito shared with the media his unhappiness over the effect on the Senate of the reports about flood control anomalies and budget insertions: “Because if this is the direction we’re headed, it’s like we’re burning down our own house.”
Three incumbent senators are included among the persons being investigated by the Department of Justice in connection with the flood control anomalies: Chiz Escudero, Joel Villanueva and Jinggoy Estrada. Dismissed public works officials and contractors named them in the illegal transactions that diverted billions of pesos for projects to them. Former senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Nancy Binay, now Makati City mayor, were also mentioned.
Ejercito’s complaint shows the ocean-wide difference in perspective of the senators and the public in matters of governance, transparency and accountability. While the hearings of the Lacson-chaired Blue Ribbon Committee have caused low morale on senators, it is a blockbuster to the public. Everybody follows the hearings – taxi drivers, tricycle drivers, market vendors, street sweepers, housewives, officer workers, students. Everybody knows about the 40 luxury vehicles of the Discayas and the P45- million Rolls Royce they bought because it came with a free umbrella.
Everybody was dumbfounded by the bundles of kickback money that went to government officials, instead of public services and assistance that they badly need.
The public demands accountability. That’s democracy functioning!
Social media is vibrant with people voicing their outrage. (Although, malevolent forces are actively at work sowing confusion.) The Trillion Peso protest rallies last Sept. 21, and another one being organized on Nov. 30, are vivid demonstrations of people participating in governance. The people are telling government officials what they want.
It is lamentable that the senators are taking it negatively.
What do they want then? Replace Sotto with Cayetano as Senate president and return Rodante Marcoleta as Blue Ribbon chair?
This afternoon, Lacson said he was stepping down as Blue Ribbon Committee chair following complaints from some senators of his handling of the investigation. Earlier, Lacson has cancelled the Oct. 8 hearing.
Some political analysts see this as a strategic move – “calming the storm.” Hopefully, this would result in Cayetano not getting the numbers he needs to take over the Senate presidency, and Marcoleta not retaking the Blue Ribbon chairmanship.
Hopefully. We will see on Monday (Oct. 6).
The views in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of VERA Files.
