The crown conspiracy

Just as a mixed metaphor is likely to upset grammarians, the cinephiles might object to the jumble of movie titles. But deliberately combining The Thomas Crown Affair with Conspiracy Theory provides a fresh twist on the plot. Crown is a billionaire who steals prized artworks to relieve his boredom while Jerry Fletcher is an obsessive-compulsive taxi driver who suspects government machination behind many seemingly innocuous events.

The Corona impeachment trials resumed yesterday. And like the previous 30-plus sessions, we the citizen-judges got more of the same. A defense team bent on hiding behind technicalities and obstructions (or just plain hiding). And an insipid prosecution team that manages to provoke Miriam-ic eruptions to punctuate an otherwise mind-numbing humdrum proceeding.

The question is still the same. With 63 percent of Filipinos believing that Corona has hidden wealth (GMA-7 Survey), and a negative trust rating of -14 percent, plus a strong probability of an ignoble legacy as the first Chief Justice to be ever impeached — why does the beleaguered Corona refuse to resign? Why doesn’t he take the less disgraceful path and spare us the gory details? Why won’t he get on the lifeboat when he clearly sees that the Titanic is sinking? Benjamin Franklin once said, “There is no kind of dishonesty into which otherwise good people more easily and frequently fall than that of defrauding the government.” We can bet US $10 million that he was spot on.

But what piqued our interest even more, were the goings-on that took place during the break. Suddenly pro-Corona Facebook pages and websites mushroomed like deadly unwanted fungi. From 8,000 claimed supporters in one site, an overnight growth of 18,000 fans suddenly burgeoned like a fatal tumor. T-shirts pledging support for Corona were being given away in Cebu and other provinces. And true to form, his lawyers claimed to know nothing about it. With a straight face they expressed heartfelt gratitude for the spur-of-the-moment, natural and un-orchestrated support for the embattled CJ.

But we know from the past that so-called spontaneous and natural outpouring only comes from organized, calculated and strategically-funded initiatives. Who is behind these cyberspace activities and pocket-sized mini-actions? Even with a suspected hefty stash, an accused man wouldn’t fritter away his own hard-earned-hidden-wealth for a lost cause.

Presumably any thinking man would not risk what’s left of a tattered reputation to protract an inevitable conclusion. Is there something to be gained by prolonging the agony? Is this a diversionary tactic to allow his equally careworn Patroness to escape Media scrutiny and prepare for her own war?

The Coronarroyo saga is hopelessly intertwined, twin kismets headed toward the same destination. A modern-day version of Romulus and Remus, that tragically ends with the death of one by the hand of the other. But then, that’s another story.

Meanwhile, back at the VMH corral, the Queen is grateful for every moment out of the searing spotlight. The decoy is taking the heat off her, distracting her pursuers from paying much attention to the prize catch. The ploy to leech off midnight pawns has paid off handsomely in terms of buying precious time to regroup. With zilch political capital to lose, any backlash is water-off-a-duck’s-back for the inglorious.

But fresh capital is the most urgent resource needed during crisis. Spin-doctoring, undermining efforts plus swelling legal fees cost more than a pretty penny. With the untimely passing of the clan’s bursar, a cashflow hiccup would be a pain-in-the-neck.

Coup rumors circulated some months past, but failed to get any traction. The postulation was that the “incentive” was a mere fraction of what was demanded, so only a piddling handful of disgruntled mercenaries were interested. Any attempted coup d’etat fizzled out before it could sizzle. Even scalawags don’t give discounts to power-grabbers.

Last week Mike Arroyo secured permission to travel, from his wife and Sandiganbayan. Reportedly he will attend an event in Tokyo and meet with Japanese investors for a hydroelectric power plant. Supposedly he will be billeted in the Imperial Tokyo Hotel. Purportedly he will proceed from there to Hong Kong for some R&R and return by May 10.

However, breaking news from one TV network reported that the former FG has no record of entry in Japan, nor did he arrive in the hotel. Furthermore, no such event was scheduled on those dates.

Where in the world is FFG? Brazil, Portugal, or Syria — any country without diplomatic ties and extradition agreements with the Philippines? Of course the scoop maybe a false lead since the broadsheets didn’t pick it up. Or the news may have been buried — death by unnatural causes.

Going back to the movies in our mind, both had happy endings. A newly reformed Crown decided to return the stolen masterpiece to prove his love for Detective Caroline Banning. Taxi driver Jerry Fletcher, the conspiracy theorist who was murdered by corrupt CIA elements, was actually alive and well, saner and more credible than ever.

In our adaptation, a happy ending would be for Corona to restore the credibility of the Supreme Court and the Judiciary by manning up to his culpabilities. Ordinary citizens like us, are the Jerry Fletchers who remain vigilant and courageous in the fight for good governance.

But if life doesn’t imitate art, a reader emailed Bible verses that he dedicated to the Senator-judges. Proverbs 24:24-25 (New International Version)

To show partiality in judging is not good: 

24 Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent,”

will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.

25 But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,

and rich blessing will come on them.

For those less inclined to heed the Bible, maybe the last words of icon, Steve Jobs, will make the hit.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.”

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