RODOLFO NOEL “Jun” Lozada may not know it from the beginning but his courageous testimony in the Senate has unleashed a political storm threatening the precarious hold to power of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA).

Over the years, the Filipino people have grown accustomed to scandals, abuse of power and all forms of shenanigans committed by the Arroyo regime.   As scandal after scandal erupts, the indifference of the people enabled Arroyo regime to cling to power.  This only emboldened the despicable administration to become more notorious in stealing public funds, wrecking institutional processes and destroying the foundations of constitutional democracy.

As a result, the country is now in disarray resembling more like the Wild West than a civilized and a functional society.  What is horrifying in this sordid state of affairs is that it is the government itself that causes all the nation’s woes.  Government exists to provide stability and social order.  It protects and upholds norms and ensures that social institutions functions.

Under the dubious rule of PGMA, the Philippine government ceased to function as the guardian of society’s social order.  Instead, it became the tool of one family backed by a ruthless and heartless cabal to plunder the nation’s resources, rule with impunity and live like feudal royalty.  As a consequence, wrong becomes the standard norm, while righteousness is considered criminal.   Stealing is all right, with the government leading by example, telling the truth a terrible mistake, kidnapping a standard police practice while protecting the people the new crime.   This is the true state of the nation under the rule of a widely perceived bogus regime.

For eight long years, the Filipino people are living in this hell, pliant and docile, oblivious to the wickedness of the government ruling them.  Now comes the testimony of Lozada, has the camel’s back finally broke?  The question of the hour is when is enough, enough? When will the conscience of the nation get struck?  To what extent can this regime abuse the patience and tolerance of the Filipino people?

From the streets to the air-conditioned rooms, from the comforts of the academe to the cloistered walls of the churches, from military camps to the trading floors in the stock markets, something is stirring.  The nation saw in the testimony of Lozada the depth and breath of corruption and the way he was treated by the government with the arrogance, viciousness and reprehensible abuse of power. 

The Catholic Church hailed Lozada a hero for standing for the truth and called for “communal action” to counter the growing and powerful menace of corruption in society.  Business groups (MBC, MAP), professional groups (IBP and CEAP) and various middle-class sectors are making their voices heard on the seemingly intolerable and blatant corruption in high places.  Ordinary citizens are getting alarmed of the transformation of the Philippines into a police or totalitarian state.  Can the country go on like this? 

Ordinary soldiers are also facing a difficult dilemma.  While the top brass of the military go on harping about professionalism and loyalty to the Constitution, what soldiers see is the destruction of constitutional democracy by their leaders and massive thief of public funds?  Why should they defend much more die for a fiendish regime?  Which should they defend, the interest of the people or that of the First Family?  Are they the army of the people or goons of one family?

These disturbing questions will be answered by the confluence of events and forces in the coming days.  The administration is already on the warpath, threatening to unleash the BIR to big business and frantically bribing lawmakers and bishops to buy their loyalty.  Men and women of goodwill, those with sense of decency on the other hand are equally determined to prevent the country from falling into the hands of thieves and the abusive.

Will the collision of these forces bring about the days of disquiet and rage?  Did the testimony of Lozada finally awaken the people to action?  During EDSA 2, Sen. Joker Arroyo thundered, “we cannot have a country run by a thief” and the people rose to depose the thief.  Now, the country is run by thieves what will the Filipino people do?  Remain asleep while the thieves ransack the nation or once and for all end the reign of the thieves?

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