MAKATI IS NOT THE PHILIPPINES

Once again, people are calling for Gloria Arroyo's resignation amidst allegations of corruption and other anomalies involving members of her family and close political allies. All due to the testimonies of one Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada in the Senate ZTE-NBN deal.

I am not saying that Lozada is a liar or is being manipulated by the opposition just so they can finally oust President Arroyo. I am not saying that there was no anomaly in the ZTE-NBN deal. I truly don't know. What I am sure of is that not even half of those people now clamoring for President Arroyo's resignation also know what is "truth". I believe that the opposition has simply grabbed on whatever issue they could find and immediately demand the president's stepping down from her office despite the obvious fact that no formal and lasting investigation has been conducted regarding the ZTE-NBN controversy. Absolutely everything has been talk and allegations and counter-allegations. And yet, now, the Makati Business Club, some sectors of the Catholic Church, some civil society groups, and as always the so-called United Opposition, have once more latched on to this issue to try for the nth time to wrestle power from GMA.

Makati is not the Philippines. The MBC and the Catholic Church and the United Opposition do not speak for the rest of the Filipino people. I detest the fact that everytime an issue erupts, these same people feel that they can simply call on the rest of the population to oust the sitting president. If they say "enough is enough", I also say, whatever you are doing now is enough.

Stop dictating the rest of the Filipinos what to do and what should be. I remember what the Visayan and Mindanao leaders promised when opposition leaders asked GMA to resign two years ago. They swore that if GMA is removed forcibly and unconstitutionally from office, a Visayan-Mindanawnon republic or republics shall arise and break away from the Philippines.

Perhaps this is what we should do. The Visayas and Mindanao seem more level headed and careful in their political actuations and decisions. Maybe we should just declare our independence from imperial Manila/Makati and leave them to destroy themselves.

I am not pro-GMA, but I respect her strength and her resolve. I salute her for standing tall and proud despite the myriad of problems and controversies surrounding her administration. I do not believe that someone else is capable of holding the Philippines together should she be ousted, thus I continuously refuse to listen to the opposition politicians.

Those who want GMA out do not even want to follow the constitutional succession of VP Noli de Castro. Can you imagine these people's audacity and utter hypocrisy? Wanting to oust a sitting president is unconstitutional enough, but not allowing the Vice-President to succeed and planning to install instead a caretaker government is the worst kind of plan I can think of.

I believe that should these stupid people succeed (God forbid!), GMA will still be welcome in Visayas and Mindanao.