by Lito Banayo
from MALAYA
At the Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo Tuesday night, there was no Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to round up her “troops” and cheer up the flagging campaign of Gilbert Teodoro. Whatever could be the reason for patroness not to be beside her “champion”? And yet, gallant “champion” gave her praises and acknowledged her “good” deeds before the audience Ronnie Puno trotted in to fill the stadium. Such a fine gentleman.
On the stage, with nary a smile, looking like imperious pro-consuls assessing the field of combat where defeat was certainty and only a treacherous deal could save their necks, were a bunch of fakes. Some of them were the very people I wrote about yesterday. They were standing in for their Dona Gloria, who earlier in the day made it a (coincidence?) point to be in Calamba, Laguna, inspecting some infrastructure project, and boarded a bus together with Malacanang reporters to show off her concrete “legacies”. Reminds me of Money Villarroyo giving a field trip to media in situ, upon C-5.
Just a few kilometres away from where the Dona preened, Money Villarroyo and his gang were parading the streets, and later in the afternoon, with prized and pricey comedians like Willie Revillame, proclaimed themselves for the three-month war ahead. It was a motley affair, with leftists Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza flanking Money and Loren in a motorcade through the crowded streets of the national hero’s birthplace, while making sure they would keep some distance beside Bonget Marcos, son of the late authoritarian leader who hounded them and their “pope” Joma.
Was that the “sign” that Dona Gloria gave to her faithful, that Manny Villar was really Villarroyo? Be in the same locus of Villarroyo’s proclamation, while being absent in Gibo? Teodoro should be thankful, but then again, the presence of Mikey Arroyo in his Puno-sponsored Antipolo bash spoiled the whole affair. Mikey dutifully said their Pa-La-Ka was solidly behind Gibo, but hey, what dolts listen to Mikey? Even his chief of staff in Congress is running as councillor in Caloocan, under the banners of the Nacionalista Party. Along with El Joc-Joc, of course, running for governor of Capiz, with Money Villarroyo his prisedinti!
In any case, the Dona, back in the metropolis on proclamation day, found her bus stuck in soft muck somewhere in Kyusi, in a road she wants to complete as part of her legacy kuno. Old folks would say “signos”, signs of impending doom, but then again, the Dona has outlasted all those signos for the past nine years and more, and believes she is on her way to many more years of glorious public “service” this time as mayordoma to Money Villarroyo.
Remember what I wrote about yesterday — Money Villarroyo as president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Speaker of the House, and Joker Arroyo as Senate President. Think about it. Our fate come July of 2010, which is just a scant five months from now, if we allow such a curse to be upon us. Hallelujah!
* * *
Don’t look now, not just yet. But an Ilocos Sur mayor intimated to me that their kingpin, El Chavit, has privately told them that he thinks Gilbert has little chance of making it. And although he likes Gibo, especially insofar as competence is used as measure, he is likely to go for Villar.
No wonder Erap’s loyalists are sore at Money Villarroyo. The mayor who informed me about Chavit’s leanings is also close to Erap’s handlers.
The informant told me that Chavit is in no hurry to decide anyway, because his half of Ilocos Sur will always wait for his “command”. I told my mayor-friend that Ilocos Sur is no longer command-vote country, just like the Lingayen to Lucena corridor, as Chavit’s province-mates have achieved a good measure of financial independence, with OFW remittances filling their frugal lifestyles enough.
But don’t tell me the Dona cannot work on Chavit? Or is she whispering someone else, like Money Villarroyo instead of Gibo?
* * *
A broadsheet that has seen better days bannered a “fake” story yesterday, just like sensationalist tabloids are wont to do. The banner headline was “Gibo gets Iglesia support”, although they qualified the word “support” in quotation marks, likely to mask the untruth behind it. The story however quotes Ed Ermita who qualified that despite the appearance of Dona Gloria in the INC Central last Wednesday, “we hope we get is…INC is very supportive of the administration”.
So did Gibo get Iglesia support, as the paper bannered? Of course not. What Gilbert’s handlers, some of whom are my friends, should ask themselves are: Did Dona Gloria whisper somebody else’s name? And why is the paper’s owner, so very, very close to Dona Gloria y su Esposo, playing with his chances, when everybody and his mother knows he is already committed to someone else?
Ah, the ways of Money Villarroyo. A half-foot here and a half-foot there, always nimble, always in brinkmanship. Always transactional.
* * *
But the fabulously moneyed Villarroyo hurls a challenge at his competition: “Pera ko naman ang ginagastos ko!” And adds: “Name your contributors”.
In Pia Hontiveros’ Strictly Politics, she twitted an uneasy Gilbert Remulla, Villarroyo spokesman, who earlier took pride in his moneyed principal’s claim, “He’s spending his own money”. Asked Pia, in such cute fashion, “E bakit doon sa (‘sangkatutak) na ads ninyo, sabi, ‘Paid for by Friends of Manny Villar”?
“Well…”, and the quickly voluble Gilbert Remulla found himself speechless, and had to wiggle himself out of the conundrum with perspiring contortions.
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