Note: We're starting a blog on the Philippine Elections of 2004. It can be accessed at http://philelections2004.blogspot.com/. What follows is our first entry.


PING LACSON EXPOSES: What's the point?


Yesterday, we found out more about the activities of the First Gentleman from Sen. Ping Lacson. No use repeating them here. Just follow this link for details. Of course, the effort to connect the scandal to the President is there but so far the President has been successful in distancing herself from the onslaught on her husband. Yet, at the end of the day, what will Sen. Ping Lacson achieve? How do these exposes turn into votes for Sen. Ping Lacson? After Ping has dished out everything on the First Gentleman, people are not necessarily going to vote for him. He doesn't have that cathartic angst, as it were, that Joker Arroyo (no relation to the President and the First Gentleman) had when Joker was running after then President Estrada -- the primary factor why it was easy to translate anti-Erap exposes into votes. But true or not, Sen. Lacson's allegations are sure to damage every bit of goodwill that the First Gentleman has built in the two and half years that Mrs. Arroyo was President.

The word from the Sen. Ping Lacson's camp is that all that he is afraid of is the revival of the Kuratong Baleleng case and other cases purportedly filed against him by the President's men. Some of the cases appear to be unbailable, thus the worst case scenario is that Sen. Lacson may have to campaign in jail. If you have cornered a guy who has the goods on you, you can no doubt expect a fight to the end. And this appears to be the point of this hoopla.

Here then are the scenarios we can expect:

Ping Wins

The President resigns or is removed from office. The Vice President takes over or a military junta assumes power. Parokya ni Edgar sings Kuratong Baleleng and that is all we remember about it.

Arroyo wins

The President survives the attacks and a warrant of arrest is issued against Sen. Lacson for the Kuratong Baleleng case. He goes into hiding or campaigns in a cell.

Win Win Solution

Ping stops and the Kuratong Baleleng cases are dropped or archived. We will have peace to dismay of the newspapers.

Nobody wins

Arroyo is forced to resign or not to run again. Ping goes to jail. And finally, justice triumphs in the end.

No doubt the circus called "Philippine Elections" has begun.