P-Noy’s Achilles’ heel

PerryScope

By Perry Diaz

Thetis dipping Achilles in the River Styx.

With all the criticism and links to corruption, scandal and anomalies involving subordinates, cronies, and relatives, President Benigno “P-Noy” Aquino III’s popularity remains “good” or “very good.” Some people call him the “Teflon President” and his detractors call him “lucky sanobabits.”

Indeed, every accusation thrown at him bounces off just like arrows bounced off the great Greek warrior Achilles. The story goes that Achilles’ mother Thetis tried to make him immortal by dipping him in the River Styx. But she forgot to dip the heel that she held him by. That heel was the only part of Achilles’ body that was mortal.

In the case of P-Noy, legend has it that his mother, the late President Cory Aquino, dipped him in the Pasig River behind Malacañang Palace during her presidency thus making him invulnerable like Achilles. But like Thetis, Cory forgot to dip P-Noy’s heel that she held him by. And like Achilles, that was the only part of P-Noy’s body that was vulnerable.

P-Noy and mother Cory Aquino

P-Noy’s “luck” started to manifest upon the death of Cory. Within a year of Cory’s death, P-Noy was catapulted to the presidency, which many people believe was his destiny. His enemies say he is an accidental president.

With Teflon armor and lots of luck, P-Noy sailed through some of the worst scandals that hit his administration. But P-Noy did not only survive, he emerged more powerful. Cory must be up there praying for her only son’s endurance. And endure he did.

But not only did he endure, he thrived and pursued an agenda no president had done before. Called the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), it was created in 2011 without congressional authorization. DAP is part of the presidential discretionary fund, which is under P-Noy’s absolute control. For the fiscal year 2014, the presidential discretionary fund is P1.3 trillion, which is more than one-half of the national budget. He disburses funds from DAP to lawmakers to compensate for the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel allocations that they no longer have access to since the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional.

Rubber stamp

House of Representatives

DAP gives P-Noy immense power over the legislators who wouldn’t dare oppose him for fear that he would withhold their share of DAP funds. Indeed, DAP is patronage politics at its worst form. Congress would lose its independence and cease to be a co-equal to the Executive branch of government. In essence, the senators and congressmen would become P-Noy’s lackeys whose only purpose of existence is to rubber stamp his legislative agenda. DAP would transform the government into one-man rule… only if the Supreme Court allows it to happen.

A question of constitutionality

Supreme Court

And this is the reason why P-Noy is reportedly lobbying hard to secure the majority vote of the Supreme Court justices when they meet en banc to decide on the constitutionality of DAP.

With his four appointees to the Supreme Court – including Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno – expected to vote in favor of DAP, P-Noy needs four more justices on his side. It is widely speculated that two other justices would vote affirmatively for DAP. If that is true, all he needs then are just two more votes.

If P-Noy employs the same tactics he used to convince several senators to vote for the conviction of former Chief Justice Renato Corona during his impeachment trial, what would prevent him from talking to some justices to ask them to vote in favor of DAP? Nothing. That’s because in his mind there is nothing wrong with that.

During Sen. Bong Revilla’s privilege speech last January 20, he revealed that he was invited together with several other senators to the Bahay Pangarap (Dream House), the official residence of P-Noy. He said that P-Noy appealed to them to vote to convict Corona for betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.

DAP unconstitutional

P-Noy conferring with DBM chief Florencio Abad

The question is: What would happen if the high court declared DAP unconstitutional? This would be a huge setback for P-Noy. He would lose the loyalty of the lawmakers and render his legislative agenda useless. He’ll be a lame duck for the remainder of his presidency.

But like all things, there are always a bright side and a dark side. While losing his DAP would constitute the dark side on the issue, the bright side is that he’d be able to redeem himself. With two and a half years left in his presidency, he could pursue legislation that would become the hallmark of his presidency. Foremost would be the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill. There is also the anti-dynasty bill that is long overdue. Then there is Charter change, which is sorely needed to bring the nation to the 21st century. And there are others that he can do to bring his stature at par with his late parents, Ninoy and Cory.

DAP constitutional

If the high court ruled DAP constitutional, that would be a major victory for P-Noy. That would be the bright side as he sees it. But the people would view that as the dark side, which could bring public sentiment to a level for mass action.

It did not then come as a surprise that the public was delighted when the Supreme Court unanimously voted to declare the PDAF unconstitutional; thus, stopping the massive plunder of the people’s money. And without PDAF, the lawmakers would be like hungry hyenas. And this is where P-Noy would come in with his DAP or “presidential pork barrel.”

Given this scenario, if DAP were ruled constitutional, how do you think the public – the masa – would react to this legalized plunder of their wealth? Yes, it’s their money for Heaven’s sake!

P-Noy might think that he could get away with abuse of public trust. H e should – nay, must – be reminded that like Achilles he has vulnerability. Is DAP P-Noy’s Achilles’ heel?

(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)