THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION

This briefing will particularly deal with the emerging “politico-economic” scenario vis-à-vis the impeachment trial of the President of the Republic, and the “unholy alliance” forged between the leaders of the Opposition Party and a faction of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

As a brief overview, the current political volatility was brought about by allegations from Luis “Chavit” Singson, Governor of the Northern Luzon Province of Ilocos Sur, that the President received payoffs from illegal gambling as well as a “lion’s share” of the tobacco excise tax amounting to a total of about $8 million.

In a press conference on October 9, 2000, Governor Singson presented to unwitting correspondents of the local and some foreign media organizations, “ledgers” of the payoffs and a wiretapped recording of a phone conversation allegedly between him and a woman he claims to be the President’s personal auditor.

He further justified his estrangement with the President by citing as reasons the awarding of the legalized numbers game franchise by the government to former Congressman Eric Singson, who he avers to be his political arch-enemy despite their being first degree cousins; and the incident wherein his driver was accosted for a traffic violation on October 3, 2000. Paranoid as he is, Governor Singson believes that it was an attempted ambush to take him out.

What he failed to divulge however, was that as early as August this year, he and some prominent members of the Cojuangco clan had been planning to incite a people’s revolution to force the incumbent President to step down “just like former President Ferdinand E Marcos.” Their group solicited the support of Cardinal Sin and former President Aquino to put a semblance of credibility in their “nationalistic” cause. Relive the Edsa Revolution of 1986, so they agreed.

He also failed to say that he was vehemently against the legalization of gambling because it’s direct effect will be to his own disadvantage. As the direct beneficiary and collector of illegal gambling money, he deplores the prospect of losing his grip from to the extensive gambling network and of course the millions of pesos that go with it.

The rest is history.

Two cabinet officials resigned their posts. They are concurrent Social Welfare Secretary, Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Trade and Industry Secretary, Mar Roxas. A few others occupying less-sensitive positions also tendered their resignations.

Eventually, people for and against the President went to the streets to voice out their sentiments. Initially, a portion of the upper middle class and the social elites were mobilized to stage rallies and demonstrations calling for the resignation of the President. The Catholic Church also jumped into the bandwagon by calling on the people to join prayer con political rallies. To date, a total of 146 protest actions nationwide were recorded.

Rallying for the President’s continued governance were multi-sectoral groups nationwide. Most of these are from the middle and lower classes who have benefited from the poverty-alleviation program of the incumbent administration.

Not content of the dampening political situation, some high-profile businessmen, who felt ignored and bypassed by the present administration, manipulated the stock and foreign exchange markets to project a spiraling economy. These were designed to dishearten and dissuade both local and foreign investors, and to incite a popular revolution from a starved population. Moreover, these capitalists forged an unholy alliance with their inherent adversary, the labor sector, to paralyze the manufacturing and industrial sectors and to finance the street demonstrations. In fact, they will stage a “National Day of Paralysis” on November 27-30, 2000 to disrupt the normal economic activity by putting up roadblocks and barricades in the main road artery of Metro Manila and by financing transport strikes, work stoppages and walkouts, and protest rallies.

The rightist and leftist organizations also took advantaged of the turmoil by launching separate mass mobilizations calling for the power vacuum in the Executive Branch. They however miserably failed to gain any latitude. Thus, they forged a devil’s covenant by acceding to a tactical alliance for future armed mobilization and action.

As a constitutionalist myself, I believe that these mass protest actions are part and parcel of the processes inherent in a democratic system. The right to peacefully assemble and express discontent is protected by the supreme law of the land, the Constitution, as strongly as it condemns any armed struggle.

The actions however of the incumbent Vice-President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, are critically alarming and disturbing, to say the very least.

Not content of tendering her resignation over the telephone and leaving behind the President, who in spite of political differences, appointed her as a Cabinet Secretary upon his assumption, she further organized the so-called “United Opposition” to exert more pressure to the President. She joined protest rallies to expedite her desire and ambition - Her desire and ambition to “Spend Christmas in Malacañang.” She subsequently organized her “Shadow Government” and drafted her First 100-day Plan as the next President of the Republic of the Philippines. She even went to the extent of calling for civil disobedience by encouraging her so-called “members of the civil society” not to pay their taxes.

While these actions are unethical, she cannot be blamed for doing so. Indeed, absolute power or the incessant craving for it, blinds even the most “ideal and principled politician”

This craving was most evident in the November 16, 2000 plenary she presided in one of the Catholic Schools in Manila. To everyone’s the “contented” images of Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Satur Ocampo of the radical left wing political party registered as Bayan Muna, were flashed on national television while shaking hands as they mutual agree on the so called “People’s Agenda”, which among others, calls for the abrogation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Treaty. Standing as witness was Crispin Beltran of the left-leaning labor union, Kilusang Mayo Uno.

To quote the incumbent Vice-President, “it was an ‘alliance for true reforms’ among groups with various ideologies.” That they were “seeking to formulate an alternative agenda that hopefully will get widespread support.” She further claimed that while she fully understand that some details will eventually be subject to disagreement, she will “respect (their) right to fight for (their) belief.” She concluded her public discourse with the left leaning alliance by publicly admitting her support to resume talks with the Communist National Democratic Front and the Secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

This public appearance, somehow confirms the raw information that even Jose Maria Sison, the self-exiled guru of the mainstream Communist Party of the Philippines, have had informal talks with the Vice-President to provide her with a security blanket from among the ranks of local leftist groups; to ensure the speedy expulsion of President Estrada; and to endorse her as the rightful successor.

Suffice it to say that this uneventful episode elicited a common reaction from both her followers and critics alike in the “civil society” That she is treading dangerous grounds. And that a peaceful co-existence with the radical left will be the order of the day once she assumes the coveted Presidency.

To the military and the police, it can only mean one end-result. That a bloodless strategic stalemate with the Communist will ensue during the transition period, and eventually a bloody power struggle will transpire as the Reds go a step further in their strategic offensive.

Historically, the National Democratic Front represents underground Communist-led organizations. They withdrew last year from the peace talks after the Philippine Senate approved the Visiting Forces Agreement allowing the United States to resume joint military exercises in the country. For the last ten months, the NDF was responsible in more than 75 % of the total mass actions nationwide.

Bayan Muna, led by hardcore communist Satur Ocampo, is one of the 748 NDF-sponsored sectoral organizations which was created specifically to adapt a legal personality and eventually participate in future electoral processes without really abandoning their communist ideologies.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, on the other hand, withdrew from peace talks after they refused to abandon their secessionist goal and its armed struggle. One of their so-called Lost Commands, the Abu Sayyaf Group, who claims support from International Terrorist, Bin Laden, was involved in a series of kidnapping activities not only in southern Philippines but also in Malaysia. Victimized were a significant number of foreigners including American Jeffrey Craig Schilling. They, however, remain non-committal in as far as the current turmoil is concerned.

The coalitions and linkages initiated by the Vice President depicts a clear and present danger to the Philippines’ National Security. And ironically, it is the second highest official of the Republic who is providing the enemies of the state and of all democracies i.e. the communists and muslim extremists, with the refuge, means and accommodation to pursue their respective violent power struggles.

At his juncture allow me to state the stand and position of the Philippine National Police in this critical issue. In the simplest possible term, my order of the day to the men and women of the police force is to hold on to and protect the Constitution and its processes.

What does this order specifically demand from the PNP? It demands that they ensure and secure democratic processes.

One such process is impeachment. In this process, the presumption of innocence must be safeguarded. Any policeman who does not believe in such process is not worth his salt.

Another such process is voluntary resignation. This is constitutional. What is extra-constitutional is FORCED RESIGNATION. Any police officer who participates in such extra-constitutional adventure becomes an enemy of the people. By all means, the police officer must not provide quarters to any extra-constitutionalist.

The people’s freedom of peaceful assembly and expression must be secured and assured by the police. This was expressed during the past demonstrations and rallies and the PNP is more inspired to exercise even more maximum tolerance and assistance in the days to come.

This particular citizen’s freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, however, cannot be owned by the police officer himself. He is an enforcer of the law 24 hours a day. It is not his business to be pro or anti. His only business is to serve everyone and protect every citizen - including his Commander-In-Chief from harm.

There is nothing unconstitutional in the police officer’s declaration of support to the President who is the Commander-In-Chief, not because of his impeachment but in spite of it. It is all within the Chain of Command without which the PNP loses its soul.

Loyalty to the Commander-In-Chief does not depend on where the wind of politics blows. This is mandated by the Constitution. The police code dictates it. In fact, our conscience energizes it, all 113,000 of us.

The unprecedented unity and Esprit de Corps of the PNP is only made possible after we worked hard to bring back the “old glory of the police”. We advocated institutional reforms such as:

1. The retraining of the Inept; the weeding out of the Corrupt; and the reformation of the Undisciplined or the so called ICU’s of the PNP;
2. The institutionalization of the Regular Physical Fitness Tests and the requirement to all policemen to maintain a 34-inch waistline or less;
3. The imposition of the ban on the use of carnapped and evidence vehicles as personal property by policemen and the order to turn over all recovered vehicles to the proper courts or to their respective owners;
4. The implementation of the “15-85” policy wherein only 15% of the allocated budget is retained in police headquarters while the remaining 85% are distributed to the ground units. This advocates transparency amongst us.; and
5. The establishment of the PNP Foundation wherein civic-minded businessmen pool their resources into a foundation which is business-led and private sector-managed with the profit going to the procurement of police equipment as determined by the Foundation itself.

These instituted programs translated into the PNP’s Net Approval Rating of +53% as of July 2000. Now, it can be said that the policemen have gained their old glory. That the Filipino people have finally trusted the police organization after more than ten years of self-determination and struggle.

This trust is the sole basis for our solid performance for the past 365 days. More importantly, the people’s confidence was transformed as a shield that protects the organization from personalities and organizations that continually aspire to discredit and destroy not just my person and leadership, but the whole PNP.

It can well be remembered that in the recent past, “character assassination” plots were orchestrated by certain ill-motivated personalities against my person, my character and my dignity. Certainly, the purpose is to destroy not just Panfilo M Lacson but also the hard-earned gains of the organizations I represent by dragging my name .

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