Coup vs. JDV

Speaker Jose de Venecia, I think, already saw this coming. When his son Joey de Venecia III testified against top Malacañang officials and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo on the scuttled National Broadband Network deal, JDV, veteran politician that he is, surely expected the backlash. It’s just that the Arroyo faction in the House of Representatives took time to consolidate its forces.

 The spectacle created by the oust-JDV move is interesting only because of the entertainment side of it. It’s like the usual political drama—lots of backstabbing, money flowing and saliva spewing from the mouths of politicians. (Leading the charge against JDV is fellow Lakas stalwart Prospero Nograles, a de Venecia man for years.) And media is lapping up every scene dripping from the House.

The people, though, are mere spectators in all these. In the end, only the politicians are benefiting from this tug-of-war. Whoever leads the House won’t matter to them. It will still be the same legislative body. The collars are changed; we will have to contend with the same dogs: unable to come up with good measures, pork barrel crazy, commissioners of projects, etc.

Ooops, this could benefit also the crticics of the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the destabilizers. A JDV shifting allegiance to the opposition can drag with him former president Fidel V. Ramos, the so-called psy war expert. If Gloria won’t watch out, she can be impeached if a big chunk of Lakas members in the House boosts the opposition’s number. And FVR can shake the Arroyo administration in the military/police front.

But then again, we are talking about politicians here. An ousted JDV can no longer command the allegiance of the power suckers. It could boil down to one reality: Gloria still wields the wand of power. JDV may yet become the loneliest congressman out there.

Bong Wenceslao, February 4, 2008

3 Responses to Coup vs. JDV

  1. […] in the blogosphere can be found in The Philippine Experience, in smoke, and The Warrior Lawyer and Rebelmind. Also, there’s Ideological Soup and Tongue In, […]

  2. Congressmen ousted JDV not just because of Joey’s testimony against top Malacañang officials and First Gentleman Mike Arroyo. It goes beyond the issue. In the House, there have been silent movements to oust him but never get enough power. Those who never been satisfied with the way JDV led the House took advantage of the NBN deal issue.

    Now, JDV lost his crown. But his experience in politics will surely raise him. Not now. Still, it’s not sure tomorrow.

    But as we see, JDV position himself into another political maneuver.. Let tactics prevail!

  3. […] the people, Rebelmind observes, have remained as mere spectators in all these: In the end, only the politicians are […]

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