Buencamino does political affairs analysis for the NGO Action for Economic Reforms. This piece was published in the newspaper Today, 10 July 2004 edition, page 9.
Trouble ahead, trouble behind, Casey Jones you better watch your speed – From Casey Jones by The Grateful Dead
The President* recently issued a statement regarding Charter change.She said, “I will work with Congress to fulfill both the agenda forCharter change, as well as our ten-point pro-poor agenda. The timingfor each debate and measure will be up to the legislature. The Senateand House leaderships are working on it and I have utmost confidence inthem. We are on a single track and the national interest will be servedby a solid executive-legislative partnership.”
The President’s* utmost confidence in the Senate and House is notmisplaced. She is still in Malacanang thanks to a majority of them.Although there are ominous rumblings in the Senate about the wisdom ofembarking on a divisive issue like Charter change at this time, anyonewho follows Senate politics understands that the rumblings can beaddressed by judiciously doling out sufficient handouts for theholdouts among them. Notice that in the Senate the argument is focusedmore on the timing and the method of Charter change rather than on thewhy and which economic provisions need to be changed.
As for the House, De Venecia or Casey Jones will take care of theincumbents while the President’s* campaign consultant will take care ofthe freshmen whom he Has gathered under an umbrella called Coalitionfor a New Philippine Congress. The campaign consultant will also act aspolitical mentor to her son Mikey and herbrother-in-law Jose (Pidal). Their “tree of knowledge” so to speak.
The new coalition has no other purpose than to ensure that Casey Joneskeeps the Batasan train running smoothly and on time. As an expert onmixed metaphors might describe it, “The new coalition is nothing but ashot across the bow of de Venecia’s train.”
The train that rolled over the canvass proceedings and transportedPresident* Arroyo to Malacanang via Cebu will be renamed and reroutedto accommodate new passengers.
The Batasan-Cebu Inter-island Railroad will henceforth be called theOccident Express in honor of its new passengers. The Batasan Stationwill be renamed Constituent Assembly or Con-ass Station.
The new route will run from Con-ass Station, cut through the heart ofPhilippine business, meander through scenic Philippine mineral andnatural resources reserves, and end at the guesthouse of the foreignbases commander.
The train will have only one brief stop—to allow its passengers torelieve their bladders—at the monument of Manuel L. Quezon, theFilipino leader who believed that our natural resources are ourINALIENABLE HERITAGE AS A PEOPLE and that the permanent presence ofeven the friendliest of foreign troops is an assault on oursovereignty. But why make an issue of out of it? As Angelo Reyes iswont to say about sovereignty, “that’s just semantics.” Choo-choo! Sohurry up, zip up your trousers and put on your coats ‘cuz Casey Jonesis shouting “All aboard!”
But not all of us will be allowed on board his gravy train. Most of uswill be left behind without a shirt on our backs. A lucky few may beable to make it to an airport or a pier and leave for the greenerpastures of servitude abroad. But the rest of us who will be leftbehind…well, we will also be servants of foreigners—but with theadded feature of working for them without having to leave our homeland.Plus, we will be enjoying the protection of friendly permanently basedforeign troops. “Bayang magiliw” daw.
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