THIS week, the nation was taken aback and stunned when the almost forgotten Senate investigation on the ZTE-NBN scandal made a sudden national appearance. “Senate says GMA must be impeached” screamed national headlines and caught everyone off guard.

Surreal accurately describes the recent move of the Senate. It was fantastic and unbelievable for the Senate to finally have the balls to thrash President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) for the ZTE-NBN scam. More than two years had passed since the scandal erupted and destroyed the skimpy credibility of PGMA. During Senate investigations, all dirty tricks had been employed by the President and her dogs in the Senate to hide the truth and evade culpability.

Then, lo and behold, from out of the blue, the report of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee said PGMA is answerable for the stinking $329-million deal. Committee chair Sen. Richard Gordon pointed to PGMA as liable for the scam. “The President has lots to answer for….In the middle of it all is a President who was unable to control and discipline her own men as they fight over kickbacks. She kept silence in the midst of the corruption – acquiescing and condoning the deeds.” Bold words indeed from Sen. Gordon.

Wordings of the report are equally strong. “This is a story of how people in high places – the relatives of the most powerful men and women in government – took advantage of their relationships, either with their parent or spouse, to cajole the executive into entering a national broadband contract that would obtain something our country did not need, and which is manifestly disadvantageous to the Filipino people.” The Executive Summary further said the ZTE-NBN scam is a “war of the most powerful, most influential and most organized syndicates in government, some members of which are public officers, who were at each other’s throats because of an alleged double cross.”

The First Couple, according to the report, are strongly linked to the scandal. PGMA is answerable for the stinking mess while the First Gentleman, Mike Arroyo is liable for conspiracy to defraud government. Although the report came out a little late, better late than never. It is still a long road to conviction but the initial steps had been taken in the quest of the Filipino people for justice in this grand scale corruption.

The main question in the mind of everyone is, why now? Why did it take the Senate more than a year to finally write and release its report on the scam? Is it just a matter of purer coincidence the Senate report came out as the deadline for the filling of the certificate of candidacy nears and election fever is in the air?

What is telling about this development is the waning clout of the administration as it sails into the sunset. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee had 17 members and 12 senators have already affixed their signature in the report making it officially adopted at the committee level. It is also worth noting senators known as staunch supporters of PGMA signed the report even before those from the minority did. Majority senators – Joker Arroyo, Edgardo Angara, Gregorio Honasan and Miriam Defensor-Santiago quickly approved the report even if only Senator Aquilino Pimentel from the minority did. Other senators followed later and signed the report.

Senators, especially those from the administration smell blood. They have seen the direction of the wind. The cry for change is too strong for them to ignore. Probably out of the desire to save their own skins or fear of being on the wrong side of history made them sign the committee report and junk PGMA.

Whatever are the reasons of the administration senators, what is going on is a clear sign GMA is falling down. Her end is coming and her allies don’t want to go down with her. These senators stuck with her at the height of her power but now that the end is near, they are trying to secure their future they are abandoning a sinking ship. Poor PGMA, it is now dawning to her power is fleeting and that nothing lasts forever.

PGMA’s downfall is beginning and she cannot prevent the inevitable. The fact that her anointed candidate Gilbert Teodoro cannot find a running mate is indicative of the current national standing of the President.

Several administration stalwarts had been approached to become Teodoro’s vice president and all of them had declined. These people are aware that to be identified with PGMA is a kiss of death, a political suicide. They know the undercurrents and the pulse of the nation – universal abhorrence of PGMA. Who would want to be identified with the loser?

Administration senators have now found the courage to indict the First Couple and recommend the President’s impeachment reveals the massive erosion of political support for her administration. Like Caesar, PGMA’s ides of March is coming anytime soon. This is the price she has to pay for her blatant abuse of power, arrogance and the massive thievery of national coffer under her leadership. The hour of reckoning is at hand.

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