Monkey business in Congress

The riotous scene at the justice committee hearing of the House of Representatives recently was a slap on the face of Philippine democracy. Staged by opposition congressmen, the pandemonium, footage of which appeared in millions of homes here and abroad, was very embarrassing for our people. After more than half a century of democratic governance (except the interim years of dictatorship), our leaders are supposed to be mature enough in their parliamentary deliberations. But what happened showed how childish some lawmakers could get, and how irresponsible!

It was very clear the whole affair was staged-managed. In fact, a day before that, one Liberal party congressman disclosed that the committee was scheduled to vote on which impeachment charge to take up. Aware that they did not have the number the pro-impeachment congressmen knew beforehand what would happen. Thus, there were shouts of adjournment and hollers of protest, raised arms, scuffle and paper throwing, culminating in an exodus to the street where their cohorts of militant rubble rousers were waiting. Monkey business in Congress, it surely was.

Grandstanding! Ever since the first day of the committee session this klatch of opposition congressmen and women has been basking in the klieg lights of media for prime time exposure. Elegantly garbed, they vied with each other in airing their arguments complete with oratorical body language and studied mien, their words oftentimes bristling with cynicism and contempt. From the brainy few some viewpoints were really logical and incisive, but from the less able ones tumbled out words and words rich in rhyme perhaps but wanting in reason.

Ah, but the Filipino loves to talk. I remember one psychologist who said that in a workshop composed of different nationalities one can easily tell which group comprises the Pinoys. It's the "talkingest" group, he said. In congressional committee hearings, whether dealing with the budget or a bill, words usually flow like water, especially if the room is jam-packed with observers. And that justice committee phenomenon was no exception.

Now that all the three impeachment charges were thrown out, will the opposition finally shut their mouths? I doubt. For them the show must go on, this time at the plenary session scheduled next week. And the show will also go on outside the Batasan complex where banner totting radicals are calling for PGMA's head. In fact, the mass action is expected to swell considering that anti-Gloria leaders have been frustrated at the recent turn of events and have been calling for people power.

People power? Is it necessary in the current social scene? Hardly. In 1986 people power was a must because the law of succession, except that of the Dictator, did not exist. It was our way of storming the Bastille, albeit peacefully. In 2002, EDSA was a people's expression of anger over an unopened envelope, and no more. There was barely any "alis diyan" motive actually. But then ERAP's cabinet deserted him - and the military turned its back on him. This pulled the rug from under the President's feet. He had no choice but to leave Malacañang. Actually, it was a "soft" kind of a coup coup d'état, but a coup d'état nevertheless, an extra legal way of changing a regime.

The problem is that any illegal mode of changing a President shakes a country's stability. With EDSA I and II the Philippines joined the ranks of banana republics. And this of course has a severely negative effect upon our economy. For who will invest in a country whose leadership is at the mercy of mass demonstrators? Even our own capitalists would rather look for other more stable places to put their money in. As long as we don't junk this EDSA mentality ours will remain a third world economy like the economies of South American states. For an EDSA is nothing but mob rule, an anarchy engineered by people who have nothing but contempt for the laws of the land.

But what about the truth? How can the truth about PGMA's alleged shenanigans be unveiled? Yet pro-Gloria people can also say, what about the truth of the opposition's electoral lapses? How can they be revealed? Indeed, those who seek the truth, whatever it is, should be people of immaculate conscience. Does the opposition have this?