Coup or no coup?

The Palace appears complacent telling everyone that the men in uniform are intact and are within the chin of command. But many are asking: Which men in uniform? Those who are warming their butts in their comfortable and airconditioned rooms or those who are sweating it out in the field wearing their camouflage and carrying their heavy bags and rifles?

While administration allies are quick to claim that there is no coup, beans are spilling from the ranks of the armed forces saying a quiet reorganization is going on after the arrest of some suspected soldier-leaders. According to the butterflies and bees from the military camps, if their counterparts in Thailand find it successful, there is no reason why this will not be replicated in Philippines. In the very first place, questions of legitimacy still hang in the air and remain as an axe to grind Gloria Arroyo's head.

Gloria's representative from Eastern Samar, Marcelino Libanan, however, maintains that the coup plotters "tried but failed in the past and therefore has no chance to succeed in the future." Which is quite an understatement for the members of the military. Unless these people are indeed stupid and does not have the capability to learn from their past mistakes.

But a bee who was too careful to buzz said that they are being paid to die for the country. If their lives is the cost of showing that the Arroyo administration is illegitimate, they can take it, he said. At least the next generation will not be a victim of history carved from cover-ups and lies. And in so doing, they still won the battle.

He is free, he is not!

President's Corrupt and Graft Government, err... Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Commissioner Camilo Sabio felt victorious when the Supreme Court ordered "(his) release from Senate custody and suspended the arrest warrants against four PCGG commissioners and five officials of Philconsat Holdings Corp. (PHC) pending resolution of the case revolving on PCGG officials' immunity."

But many are still in doubt that the release would be final. Not unless the high court sees that an executive order has now become more powerful than the constitution.

Of course, let us still wait for the high court for their final judgment and then we judge.

Not the form of government but the honesty of public officials

While Thailand is facing coup d' etat, and Panfilo Lacson's idol, Thaksin Shinawatra, is suffering the fate of being ousted, Hungary's prime minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany, is also in hot water. Just like Gloria Arroyo, he lied not of the elections though but of the economy.

This brings another blow to the Singaw ng Bayan who are advocating the palace-orchestrated people's initiative. Singaw ng Bayan had been advocating a change of government from presidential to parliamentary claiming it to be the solution to the Philippine government's woes. Which is quite unlikely. Both Thailand and Hungary have parliamentary forms of government and still, they are being ravaged by coups and rallies. That is because of the existing leaders that they have. And with Gloria Arroyo whose legitimacy is still being questioned to rule under the parliamentary government, how can we be so certain that things will not be as they happen in Thailand and Hungary?

Well, this only boils down to one thing: it's not only the form of government that works. It is also the sincerity, honesty and transparency of the public officials.