The country totters; cracks in political make-ups

Protest marches went into high gear yesterday, both in Metro Manila and in the provinces. All called on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to quit her post, although some groups mounted disparate challenges.

Undoubtedly, the country is split into two warring groups. In between, of course, are those who are really calling for a revolutionary junta, a transitional government and a host of other things.

One wonders whether these will bring about economic progress or bring down the country.

In Mindanao, Christian and Muslim leaders are warning the National Capital Region that they may accede to the call to declare their independence from the center. That could set back the peace talks between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the government. Fortunately, the MILF has rejected calls for independence — the only comforting message amid the political tumult.

In the Visayas, most governors were also discussing with vigor their own threat to form a "Visayas Republic." Oriental Negros Gov. George Arnaiz and several Eastern Visayas executives have already outlined plans for that eventuality.

In Negros Occidental, Cadiz City Salvador Escalante argued that it is time for the Negros provinces to resurrect a discussion on the constitution of the Federal Cantonal Republic of Negros if Manila continues to impose its political will on the provinces.

And, yes, although he did not fully encourage such secessionist talks, Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon cited the constitution of 1898 as extant and worth studying. He added fuel to the fire by pointing out that Negros Island may be able to exist by itself.

Anyway, Negros Occidental executives, largely members of the United Negros Alliance, came out four-square behind President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. There was one exception — Valladolid Mayor Richard Presbitero who claimed that his constituents were for the resignation of the President.

A disparate group of the United Opposition, headed by former councilor Rudy Parreno, readied yesterday to march to call for Mrs. Arroyo to leave the Palace. And the group, aligned with the late presidential bet Fernando Poe Jr., was for Susan Roces to spearhead the opposition.

In Panay, the defection of the Liberal Party under Senate President Franklin Drilon drew support from Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas. He was with Drilon when the latter invited the President last week to transfer Malacañang to Iloilo if Metro Manilans no longer like her.

But Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, chairman of the League of Cities of the Philippines, remained firm in his support for the President and the constitutional process.

So with Antique Gov. Sally Zaldivar-Perez who pointed out that the President should remain in office until proven guilty of any misdemeanor through the constitutional procedure of impeachment.

Aklan defection

But while the political forces in Antique remained loyal to the President, the Ecumenical Movement for Justice and Peace-Antique joined the call for Mrs. Arroyo’s resignation.

Neil Bancaya, EMJP spokesman, said the downfall of the Arroyo regime "has become imminent with the withdrawal of support of her Cabinet officials and the snowballing demand for her resignation."

"President Arroyo is longer fit to stay in office. If she continues to cling on to power, the people of Antique, together with millions of others nationwide, will once again flood the streets to topple her down," he said.

Well, in the face of Gov. Perez’s position, that remains a very optimistic prediction even for Antique alone.

But the more worrisome was the announcement of Rep. Florencio Miraflores that he was joining the Tighog Aklan in an all-out support for Drilon in calling for the resignation of President Arroyo.

"I am supporting Senate President Frank Drilon who made a clarion call asking the President to resign. Drilon is doing this not for himself alone but for the entire nation, he being the Senate President," stressed Miraflores.

Tighog Aklan is headed by former Rep. Allen Quimpo and is the biggest political party in Aklan.

The group joined the Panay Arroyo for Resignation Movement, which includes Bayan, Aklan Youth Council, Gabriela and other militant groups.

In Negros Occidental, some militant groups allied themselves with the FPJ movement and the Jesus Is Lord Movement in demanding that the President resign. So with militant priests such as Fathers Irineo Gordoncillo and Greg Patinio of Consumers Watch, and several others.

Third district mayors of the province also came out yesterday with another stand stressing that the crisis be addressed through "legitimate constitutional and legal processes." They also batted for a change in the form of government instead of a change in the leadership of the country.

The five local executives were Talisay City Mayor Anthony Lizares, Silay City Mayor Carlo Gamban, Victorias City Mayor Severo Palance, E.B. Magalona Mayor Alfonso Gamboa, and Murcia Mayor Esteban Coscolluela.

As the political acoustics reached strident levels, that does not mean that the government (especially on the local level) has grounded to a halt.

Doubts about PNP head

For example, Gov. Marañon said yesterday he will ask for the replacement of Senior Superintendent Charles Calima as provincial PNP director since the latter failed to explain the drop in the rating of the Negros provincial police.

Calima, however, blamed the newly adopted rating system for this.

For the past weeks, Marañon has been complaining that Calima was nowhere to be found and could not be contacted even through his cellphone.

What made that excuse sound hollow was the announcement that the Bacolod City police topped the others in Negros and Panay in the first and second quarters this year.

This was admitted by Superintendent Vicente Ponteras that the Bacolod PNP got the top rating in Western Visayas in the fields of operations, intelligence, investigation, police relations and administration.

Well, Marañon has sought a one-on-one talk with Calima. If he is not satisfied with the outcome of the talk, Marañon said he will report Calima to the PNP hierarchy in Manila and ask them to change him.

P29.5-M phone lines lost

The more serious problem was the rampant theft of telephone cables in Negros Occidental which has alarmed Innove Communications Inc., operator of Globelines.

In 2004 alone, the firm said it lost P29.5 million in telephone lines to cable thieves.

This is only in terms of financial losses, but we cannot quantify the cost of disruption of services, Leoncio Cantonjos, head of the Customer Operations Support, said during the launching of the Bantay Kable Program last Tuesday.

He said Bago City accounted for most of these losses, pointing out that eight suspects, five of them minors, have been arrested in that city alone.

But there was something which also delighted Negrenses. This was the appointment of former Land Bank of the Philippines president Margarito Teves as finance secretary.

Teves is well-respected. And he has credentials worth assessing meticulously. A three-term former congressman and son of Rep. Herminio Teves of Oriental Negros, Gary has won plaudits with his management of the Landbank.

He was educated in Economics in top schools in Spain, England and the United States.

He has a master’s degree in Development Economics from Williams College in Massachusetts; higher national diploma in Business Economics from City of London College in England; and Bachelor of Arts from Universidad de Madrid.

In the corporate world, he served with Metrobank, Ayala Foundation and Solid Bank before his election as congressman for the third district of Oriental Negros.

He may not be a miracle worker. But Teves achieved a record of sorts when the Landbank attained a record profit last year to become the third biggest bank in the country.

That should at least brighten the dark sky of the country.