It all came from out of the blue: Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, long absent from the Senate, suddenly appearing, being chased in and out of the building; a new majority emerging; shots fired; the Senate locked down; Marcos and Jonvic Remulla denying any arrest order; yet another Remulla suspending officials; the Department of Justice ordering a manhunt. All in the span of one week.
The week after was no less exciting: new rules on remote participation and voting proposed; the new minority walking out and vowing to walk out “forever”; Senators Marcoleta and Jinggoy charged with plunder; a third (Bong Go) rumored to have another International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
The Legislature’s Upper Chamber is in disarray. And for what? Some say it is because of the impending impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The Palace wants one of its puppet senators as Senate President, the better to rake the VP over the coals. But then, none of Malacañang’s putative candidates are lawyers, so any one of them presiding over proceedings profuse in legalese, replete with jurisprudential issues, would be problematic.
And no! Having Kiko Pangilinan — with his demonstrable lack of legal learning — as “impeachment trial manager” (whatever the heck that means) is not only not going to solve the problem, but worsen it.
And in the final act, the math isn’t mathing in favor of conviction, which needs sixteen votes, whether or not any senator is in hiding or is detained. A tall order, even with unlimited luggage and so-called “legal luminaries” in the House prosecution panel, most of whom are legends only in their own minds. Not to mention funny looking.
So what gives? The analysis of many astute political observers dovetails with mine, to the effect that it is all about three big words: BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE (BRC). The same one formerly chaired by Marcoleta who, when he was slowly inching the investigation on the flood control scam towards Malacañang, was suddenly replaced by Lacson, who lost no time in sprinting it back away from the Palace. The same Lacson who has stymied all attempts to protect and/or summon vital witnesses, and instead went on a deliberate wild goose chase best suited for muddying the issue on the involvement of Marcos and Martin.
And now, the real ringleaders of “Floodgate” are scared s**tless, as they see the return of Marcoleta, who was coming so close to unmasking the masterminds, as head of a BRC subcommittee specifically laser-focused on the said thievery.
Sen. Sotto — who boasted to Marcoleta during a recent debate that he (Sotto) was “magaling sa rules” — even made a last-ditch effort to question the subcommittee’s creation, only to be humiliatingly confronted with the black-and-white provision in the Senate Rules allowing it. Verily, Wanbol University does not teach its students well.
And now, the real architects of the anomaly are deathly afraid that he who has toupee will reveal the ones who have to pay. It’s a nightmare scenario for the corrupt and the vile. Trillions and lifetime incarcerations are at stake. To save themselves, the guilty will use everything in their arsenal to smite the new majority, like a bolt from the blue.