Sun Tzu Advice No. 6: "Watch your back."

Journalist Ricky Carandang has published today in INQ7.net what appears to be the proposal from the left of center political forces. The scenario he painted is for the respected members of the cabinet to threaten the President to resign, unless she does the honorable thing of resigning in the face of the scandal. In Mr. Carandang's words,

"If a critical mass of Cabinet officials, especially those known as reformists and not associated with her husband, Mike Arroyo, threaten to resign unless she steps down. The specter of the most respected Cabinet members resigning would eventually be the deathblow that would lead to the collapse of her government. Even if she were to replace them, it would only delay the inevitable. The damage to her of mass resignations would just be too great for her to survive. In other words the only choice President Arroyo would have in this scenario would be to step down in an orderly fashion or have her government eventually toppled in a messy coup or revolution."

In the light of this proposal, GMA should now check her political screenshot. Who among her cabinet secretaries are the targets here? Immediately, we can point to Cesar Purisima, Secretary of Finance, and Butch Abad, Secretary of Education, who are among the most respected names in her cabinet. She should have these two scouted -- Butch Abad in particular, because Butch has the social democrats and the Liberal Party with him. What should she do if these guys' icons, which I presume to be green, turn white, and then eventually turn red? She should move heaven and earth to convince these guys to stay. But would they be able to carry the pressure from the left of center and from their constituents to make the move? This is where GMA can truly test her political skills. Can she keep her most respected people in the fold?

What did Vito Corleone say? "Keep your friends close to yourself. And your enemies closer."

Interesting times we live in.