AFTER ALL
Behn Fer. Hortaleza, Jr.

WE CAN’T miss the irony of it in our life.

We started our career in government in 1973, just a year after Apo Marcos declared martial law in the country in 1972. Now that we’re just about to retire (having already signified our intention to avail of the PIA’s Rat (for rationalization) Plan), La Gloria shocked everyone, critics and all, by declaring a State of Emergency in the land.

For the Great Ilocano, it was Proclamation No. 1081; for the Kapampangan Spitfire, its Proclamation 1017. In between the two history-making moves is a span of 34 years.

So much airtime, so much newspaper space, so many blogs will be written about this move by President Arroyo in the days, weeks and indeed years to come, that’s for sure. Most of these will be recollections of the Marcos ML years or warnings of consequences – justifications will expectedly be drowned out by the avalanche of adverse comments.

We chose to discuss something other than these.

We chose to probe the great burden heaped upon those who will, as the State of Emergency progresses, have to be called upon to either favor or disfavor it sometime soon.

There are four such icons in the national landscape we can think of this moment who could provide, as the circumstances go, the so called “tipping point” in the entire scenario: the Supreme Court magistrates especially Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Generoso Senga, Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Jose de Venecia.

* * * *

Of the four, Panganiban as the top arbiter of laws in the land will be bearing the greatest burden of all, putting proper sense to the whole landscape, aided by the collective wisdom of his fellow justices, once a case is filed questioning GMA’s declaration of emergency. The High Tribunal’s action on this will have far-reaching implications and could either ease or exacerbate the national situation. May God grant them the clearest mind in interpreting the law and, by extension, the latest presidential action for the entire Filipino nation’s sake.

Gen. Senga — with former AFP Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes’ “withdrawal of support” manuever that largely triggered the Estrada administration collapse in hindsight — for all his cool, calm exterior, could still be inwardly grappling with many questions about the various facets of loyalty and duty until this time. Don’t look his movie star looks fool you; the man today is as troubled as troubled can be. Drilon as the third man in the succession totem pole, if and when something should happen to the Chief Executive and the Vice President, may have to be on his toes round the clock till the harsh winds of 1017 blows over or at the very least, simmers down.

And the irrepressible, incomparable Joe de V, his charter change proposal, now on wings of flight (not fancy, as some critics, put it) with a full army of congressmen behind him, could still find Fate smiling on him in the Year of the Dog — or whatever other animal sign is coming next.
There is no doubt that the House Speaker is the most solid, unyielding rock GMA can hold or hang onto in this critical season, the once trusted FVR who “saved” her throne with his mere presence when the Hyatt 10 tried to pull the rug from under her last year having already distanced himself from the Little Lady of Mekeni Country.

In these four men, we daresay, rests the future of the country now during these uncertain times. One or a combination of them, acting in the best — or worst — lights, could yet save the situation and bring about relative peace or put us all on the road towards national perdition.

In stormy weather, the captain could choose to hand over the rudder to the strongest of his mates.