Of Paranoia and Power Grabbing

I am constantly amazed at how we Filipinos have a habit of acting before thinking. The local dailies today blaringly reveal what clowns our politicians can be. We read of the ISAFP possessing pre-knowledge about the escape of the four Oakwood mutineers. Then there’s the massive wiretapping done by, again, the ISAFP, a supposedly apolitical group, against the opposition. Oh, and of course, we can’t forget Michael Ray Aquino the alleged spy of the opposition accused of passing classified information to help further destabilize the current administration.

So true is the saying: Politicians make strange bedfellows. Ex-Education Secretrary Florencio Abad stood with then Vice-President Gloria Arroyo with no less than his daughter Cecilia Paz holding the Bible upon which Ms Arroyo laid her hand as she was sworn into the office of President of the Republic. And not too long after that he joins the Hyatt 10 asking, nay, demanding, Arroyo to resign.

On the other hand, we still haven’t learned the basic principle that governs the universe: Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. Every major religion teaches this in one form or another. Anyone that grabs power from a superior, regardless of how “evil” the superior supposedly is, will inevitably reap his actions. History has repeatedly shown that powergrabbers have had to tenaciously and paranoiacally hold on to power only to find it wrested from them… sooner or later. Even if former President Estrada were guilty of all the crimes he is being accused of, he should have been given due process and his day in court to defend himself. If guilt can be proven beyond reasonable doubt, then let him be sentenced accordingly. But grabbing power based on allegations, no matter how incriminating, is not right. In fact, it is both unconstitutional and criminal.

And now President Arroyo is facing charges of election rigging which led to a once-again short-circuited impeachment procedure. Rigging elections would be a “normal” and expected reaction of one who would take power in a forceful and unbiblical manner. This is not to say that Ms Arroyo has, in fact, done it. The courts still have to prove that. But when the Administration lawmakers foolishly foiled the impeachment process, the citizens are forced to draw their own conclusions, which could be more damaging than being accused in court. More than helping, I think Ms Arroyo’s advisers are successfully digging a deeper grave. So much for wisdom. But such is the way of paranoia.

Let me put it this way: How can anything good come out of grabbing power? How can righteousness come out of sin? A fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it? And more indicting, can a leopard change its spots?

Think, Philippines. Think.