Buencamino writes political commentary for the NGO Action for Economic Reforms. This article was published in Malaya, August 27, 2005 edition, page A6.
Reconciliation. Again.
Mrs. Arroyo’s allies in Congress are trying to reconcile the Constitution with her desire to see the impeachment complaint knocked out before she even steps into the ring. Her congressmen believe people will easily reconcile themselves to a technical knockout.
Environment Secretary Mike Defensor tried to reconcile “yun dagdag, yun dagdag” with “binalibag” and the result was binalibag siya ni Congressman Pichay.
Congressman Abante of Manila tried to reconcile jueteng witness Sandra Cam with Mrs Arroyo. Ms. Cam was smart enough to tape her meeting with Abante so inatras ni Abante ang kanyang reconciliation offer.
DILG Secretary Reyes and the AFP are still trying to reconcile national security with an illegal raid on the room of a man who was helping Loren Legarda win her election protest against Noli de Castro. Mrs. Arroyo’s lawyer Romeo Macalintal says the documents confiscated by the joint police and armed forces intelligence team are useless in any legal proceeding—legal garbage in other words. I am still trying to reconcile myself with Macalintal’s idea that an official copy of election returns is trash and only the original counts. Why make seven copies in the first place?
Brother Mike Velarde tried to reconcile Mrs. Arroyo and former President Estrada. Mike Defensor leaked the terms of reconciliation to the press: Estrada was going to be released on recognizance. According to one newspaper, recognizance “involves the release of an accused without bail to someone of high moral standing in the community.” The reconciliation talks collapsed when both sides realized that there is no one in Malacanang who can pass the “high moral standing in the community” requirement for bail on recognizance.
Mrs. Arroyo is trying to reconcile with the Marcos family. According to Marcos’ son, Mrs. Arroyo is talking to his mother about allowing his father to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. There could also be talks regarding the disposition of Marcos’ wealth, something his heirs believe they have been unjustifiably deprived of. Will Mrs. Arroyo reconcile herself with their wishes?
Mrs. Arroyo tried to reconcile the new president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to her desire to stay in Malacanang.. Unfortunately, he reminded her that the CBCP was more interested in the truth than in her continued occupation of the Palace. Napuwing tuloy si Mrs Arroyo, according to her boy Bobi Tiglao, that’s why she left the meeting teary-eyed.
At the El Shaddai meeting last Sunday, Mrs. Arroyo tried reconciliation with the crowd. She said, “All that I am asking God is for His divine will and as such I composed a prayer.” She read them a prayer she composed, “I am nothing. God is all. Father, I love you. Come Divine Will to think in my mind, to speak in my mouth, to see in my eyes, to breathe in my breathing and to move in my motion. So that the will of God will be my will and the will of all of us”.
Dear Mrs. Arroyo, there are only two things that both God and man will be happy to see you reconcile with—first is the truth and second is your Rizal Day admission three years ago that you were the cause of all the disunity in the country. That’s it. No more, no less. Is it really difficult for you to reconcile yourself with those two things?