It is interesting how the Macapagal-Arroyo administration initially reacted to the Congress bombing last October 13. Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo asked the people not to add to the problem by engaging in speculations, and making hasty judgements regarding who is responsible for the bombing. One would think that such statement would come from the usual suspects and not the government.

BY BENJIE OLIVEROS
ANALYSIS
Bulatlat
Vol. VII, No. 41, November 18-24, 2007

It is interesting how the Macapagal-Arroyo administration initially reacted to the Congress bombing last October 13. Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo asked the people not to add to the problem by engaging in speculations, and making hasty judgements regarding who is responsible for the bombing. One would think that such statement would come from the usual suspects and not the government.

But such is the quagmire the government is stuck in. When the “terrorist” angle was first put forward in the Glorietta explosion and it was announced that traces of RDX chemical – a component of C4 explosives – were found in the debris to bolster the theory, the public immediately rejected it. The slant of news reports regarding the explosion, and calls and text messages sent to public affairs programs were consistent in pointing out that the Glorietta explosion was meant to cover up the issues confronting the administration at that time namely, the anomalous National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with ZTE, and the Malacanang bribery scandal. Because of this, the Philippine National Police (PNP) immediately discarded the terrorist angle – especially since C4 bombs are issued only to the military – and stubbornly stuck to the theory that the explosion was caused by a combination of methane gas, purportedly produced by the sewerage in the basement, and diesel fuel, which was stored in tanks also in the basement. Up to now, there are still conflicting findings regarding the Glorietta explosion- one from the PNP which is being supported by Malacanang and that of the Ayala Corporation, which contradicted the PNP theory. According to the findings of the probe initiated by the Ayala corporation, the production of methane gas in such quantity that could trigger an explosion was highly improbable as there is enough ventilation in the basement and the sewerage tanks are regularly emptied. The conclusion that there was a very low probability that the methane gas – diesel combination could have triggered the explosion was supported by chemical engineers who are also professors at the University of the Philippines.

The Macapagal-Arroyo administration fared no better with the Congress bombing. Talks of the possible involvement of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration in the bombing are again rife. While definitive findings are still not possible considering that the investigation is still at an early phase, theories that the bombing was meant to intimidate both the Opposition and the group of House Speaker Jose De Venecia – who is at odds with the First Family over the expose’ by the Speaker’s son regarding the involvement of presidential husband Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo in the anomalous NBN deal with ZTE of China – and that it was meant to cover up the killing of the impeachment complaint by Arroyo’s allies in the Lower House are gaining more adherents from the general public. The insistence of the PNP on its theory that the bombing was targeted at Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar, who was killed instantly, even at this early stage in the investigation again fueled speculations that there is again a cover up.

Worse were the text messages sent to radio public affairs programs which said that the Lower House deserved to be bombed. I heard radio commentators reminding the public that there were innocent people killed in the Congress bombing. And rightly so. The bombing deserved condemnation no matter who or what group was responsible.
But these reactions show the lack of credibility of the Macapagal-Arroyo administration. And the Arroyo government is aware of this, thus its pleadings to the people not to engage in speculations and hasty judgements.

The Macapagal-Arroyo administration has, time and again, belittled the capability of the Opposition and of militant organizations to mobilize people in their campaign to oust Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from Malacanang. It has also claimed that the people are fed up with the political grandstanding of the Opposition and that they are already enjoying the fruits of ‘economic growth.’ If it really believes in what it is saying, why then is it so defensive in its statements regarding the bombings? Why is it that its moves are characterized not by steps leading to a vision but rather maneuvers to desperately cling to power? It swings from being adamant and ruthless such as its moves to suppress the truth and curtail civil liberties, and the spate of extra judicial killings and enforced disappearances to being inconsistent and wavering such as in the pardon of former President Joseph Estrada?

Political expediency best characterizes its moves. And it does so because it really has a lot to cover up: the “Hello Garci” tapes and electoral fraud during the 2004 and 2007 elections, a long list of corruption and bribery scandals – Pidal accounts, Macapagal boulevard, fertilizer scam, PhilHealth card scam -, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and other human rights violations.

To make the problems worse, the Macapagal-Arroyo administration is closing all venues to explain its side. It has callously tried to set these aside branding the raising of these issues as ‘politicking;’ it enforced a policy of omerta with its insistence of its authority to bar government officials from testifying in congressional hearings, when it so pleases, and of its right to “executive privilege;” its tight rein on the Ombudsman and Commission on Elections; and its propensity to preempt impeachment complaints from being filed and summarily killing these complaints, without even perfunctorily looking at its merits, by sheer number of votes.

The recent reactions of the public show that the Filipino people are not wont to forget, as the Arroyo government is hoping it would. Nor is an atmosphere of public apathy prevailing. What we are seeing is seething anger which can explode soon. (Bulatlat.com)

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