Executive-legislative deadlock by LAMP - Gotcha

A stickler for historical accuracy about EDSA '86, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile should be first to learn from history's lessons. Yet he's repeating history's mistakes in imagining plots all over to topple Joseph Estrada.

Ferdinand Marcos had just been overwhelmingly reelected 30 years ago when he, too, saw plotters lurking in every corner to assassinate him or bring down government. The economy was in shambles; prices of food, fuel, electricity and transportation were rising. Government officials were preoccupied not with serving but with stealing; people felt their ship of state drifting aimlessly.

Oppression from poverty and militarization drove people into waiting arms of communist revolutionists and Moro secessionists. Priests and politicians like Ninoy Aquino and Jose Diokno saw legitimacy in their grievances, and criticized Marcos' mistakes. Marcos in turn accused them and media commentators of subversion, treason and protecting the "oligarchy". He imposed military rule; things only got worse.

Today, the economy is in a rut again because of waning investor confidence and government inability to lead businessmen and laborers into inevitable globalization. Cronyism has returned; corruption reigns in all levels of bureaucracy. The dispossessed are joining what only months ago were dying communist and Muslim rebellions. The majority who shun violence are nonetheless disenchanted. In family dinners and corporate boardrooms, civic gatherings and community socials, talk invariably strays to which kamag-anak smuggled the latest hoard or which kumpare bagged the biggest public contract.

Instead of curing the problem, the Estrada administration is tailing critics. Enrile, calling himself a doctor of national security, is lumping communist and Muslim armed bands with politicians who fiscalize, businessmen who rail at cronies, priests who decry poverty, students who protest tuition increases, and newsmen who report legitimate issues. With that mindset, the next step can only be state suppression -- again.

Relatedly, Defense Sec. Orly Mercado is saying a military solution won't wipe out communist or Muslim rebels. Addressing the social and economic roots of rebellion will. Yet government is bent on arming more civilians to fight neighbors who have been enticed into the underground.

One Manero should be enough lesson to show that "civilian defense forces" are prone to abuse. Arming street toughies and village idiots will only drive more people to the hills -- the way murderous Norberto Manero only alienated Cotabato ruralfolk from the government and into rebellion.

People only sneered when Joseph Estrada promised last Feb. 25 to wipe out poverty and corruption before his term ends. They've heard it before; they'll hear it again in the next presidential election.

Malacañang alone cannot uproot economic inequity and social injustice -- twin causes of any rebellion. Congress also has to lay down policies and programs for the executive branch to implement.

But Congress is preoccupied with pork and perks. In 20 months, it passed only three major laws: the Clean Air Act and the budgets for 1999 and 2000. The record is made more dismal by its passage of the 2000 budget 45 days behind deadline, and its failure to fund the Clean Air Act's first-year implementation with P100 million. (Congress pork amounts to P42 billion: P175 million per senator and P50 million per congressman.)

Estrada vetoed not the congressional pork as promised but only the rider that district lump sums for education, public works and health are subject to approval of senators and congressmen. Yet his own LAMP partymates are smarting from amor propio. Three weeks after the fact, they're still murmuring about overriding the veto, boycotting Congress sessions, and sitting on urgent administration bills.

Marcos had himself ranted against "perennial deadlock between the executive and legislative branches." He solved it by dissolving Congress and arresting its leaders upon declaring martial law.

Fidel Ramos rode to Malacanang with only a handful of partymates in Congress. To get reform laws passed, he formed a rainbow coalition with sympathetic congressmen. Then he convened a Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council to muster support from a Senate that remained in opposition hands throughout his six-year term.

Estrada needs no martial law or rainbow coalition, considering that LAMP dominates the 22-man Senate with 14 members and one PRP ally, and the 219-man House with 152 members and 11 LP allies. All he has to do is assert party platform; all LAMP has to do is give automatic support.

Then again, LAMP is not a real party. It's just a term for parties that worked Estrada in '98: LDP, NPC, PMP. It has yet to hold an organizing convention, elect central and chapter officers, register with Comelec. Easy tasks, it may seem, but imagining destabilization plots is even easier.

INTERACTION. Rex Garcia Berame, Davao City: We all know the BW Resources scam contributed to the stock market fall and investor flight (Gotcha, 4 Mar. 2000). Erap says the stock market is just a small part of the economy. It is the barometer of business confidence.

A single spark can start a prairie fire, Rex.

Engr. Fely Borlongan, DPWH-Central: Plane passengers at NAIA Centennial Terminal find it hard to get taxis because drivers demand kontrata rates instead of running their meters. Airport guards pretend not to see anything.

Joey Legarda, Makati: The education budget slash was expected from an admin that is inept and lacks foresight. The value of education is alien to Erap.

Cornelius Cruz, hotmail.com: Cory Aquino and Cardinal Sin should share the blame for RP's woes-having Erap as President. Had they not opposed Cha-cha, FVR might still be at the helms.

Nilo Orocio, aol.com: Tatad tells Marcos victims to "grow up, history does not begin or end with Marcos. That's easy for him to say; he's not aggrieved.

YOUR BODY. Dr. David H. Holmes, head of world-renowned Eden Institute-NJ for autistic persons, is the main speaker of the Autism Society of the Philippines' annual conference on Apr. 28-30. Theme of the meeting to be held at the Bureau of Soil & Water Management, Elliptical Road, QC, is "Adolescents and Adults with Autism: Moving towards Independence." For details, contact Cathy Tanedo, 926-6941 or [email protected].

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