Abalos had no choice
By Val G. Abelgas
The sudden resignation of Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. last Monday elicited various reactions from the opposition to Malacanang, but one thing was certain: everybody welcomed it. The reactions ranged from relief to skepticism, depending on which side of the fence one was in.
Senate President Manuel Villar said Abalos’ resignation, which came on the heels of an impeachment complaint filed against him in the House of Representatives, showed that “delicadeza” was alive. He was alone in saying it, though. At least two other opposition senators offered kind words. Sen. Benigno Aquino III said Abalos spared the Comelec from “further harm.” Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said Abalos displayed “courage.”
Senate Richard J. Gordon echoed what was obviously the general sigh of relief by administration officials, and said “an anxiety has been lifted with Mr. Abalos’ decision to resign.” Speaker Jose de Venecia said Abalos’ resignation “will spare the 14th Congress and the Filipino people a protracted, contentious and potentially divisive impeachment process.”
Malacanang said it “respects” Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos’ decision to resign, and at the same time “wished him well” in clearing his name. Interior Secretary Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno praised Abalos’ move: “I actually congratulate him for his patriotism, with his sacrifice through his resignation and I wish him well. I think he probably made his decision with the interest of the entire political situation in mind.”
Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento lauded the former chairman for protecting the image of the Comelec but added that it was inevitable for Abalos to step down to prevent the Comelec from being dragged further into the controversy.
Opposition congressmen naturally expressed skepticism. Bayan Muna party list Rep. Teddy Casino said Abalos resigned to save President Arroyo from another impeachment complaint for approving the NBN-ZTE deal. Sen. Jamby Madrigal called the resignation a sham, and scored Abalos for allowing himself to be used by Arroyo again. The bishops said the resignation was long overdue and was God’s response to their prayers.
“Resignation does not mean admission of guilt but it does not also exonerate Abalos,” said Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Blue Ribbon chair, adding the Ombudsman could still file charges against him. Sen. Mar Roxas said justice must be still pursued.
The United Opposition, the Black and White Movement and the Makati Business Club said the search for the truth on the broadband deal should not end with Abalos’ resignation.
What really made Abalos suddenly decide to resign?
Abalos said he was resigning to protect his family and the Comelec from further harm, and there’s no reason to doubt that. On the other hand, Abalos also resigned because he saw the handwriting on the wall. If he didn’t resign, he would be impeached.
De Venecia might be unwilling to help him. After all, the person who first blew the whistle on the $329-million National Broadband Network bribery scandal was his son and namesake, Joey de Venecia III. Even in the dirty world of politics, blood is still thicker than water.
Arroyo has not shown signs of support for him either. Recent events, in fact, showed – as Casino correctly pointed out – that Abalos was being fed to the lions when Arroyo’s close advisers, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., allowed Neri to admit during the Senate blue ribbom committee hearing that he was offered P200 million in bribe by Abalos to endorse the controversial NBN deal, but stopped him from answering questions that would implicate Arroyo.
That Abalos would be allowed to fall alone became obvious when neither De Venecia nor Arroyo lifted a finger to make sure that the impeachment complaint would not prosper.
It would be to the best interest of Macalanang for him to resign before the impeachment process starts grinding.
The impeachment proceedings could divide the administration coalition at this time. Unless Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr. intervened on his behalf, his detractors could succeed in elevating the impeachment complaint to the Senate, where a guilty verdict is almost assured and where more of Arroyo’s and Abalos’s dirty laundry could be exposed. The political fallout would be tremendous. Impeachment should not proceed, and only Abalos’ resignation could stop that.
On the same day that Abalos announced his resignation, he and his family were seen dining in a restaurant with three of Arroyo’s closest advisers – Ermita, Andaya and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales. The three said they were there to wish Abalos well, but I am more inclined to believe they were with him to reassure Abalos that he would be taken care of, and to make sure that Abalos does not implicate the Arroyos.
Malacanang had to console Abalos. After all, Abalos probably knows a lot of secrets involving the 2004 and 2007 elections, not to mention the Arroyos’ role in the NBN bribery scandal. You know how a Mafia lord sends over his associates to visit a colleague he had just slapped, to make sure he remains a friend.
Malacanang is also hoping that with the resignation of Abalos, the controversy would die a natural death, just like all the other scandals that have rocked the Arroyo administration – the $2-million extortion charge against former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez to approve the $470-million IMPSA contract, the P50-million telecommunications bribery scandal involving Mike Arroyo, the jueteng payoff scandal involving Mike and Mikey Arroyo, the P1.3-billion election computerization deal with Mega Pacific, the alleged P532.9-million overpricing of the P1.1-billion, 5.1-kilometer President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in the Manila Bay reclamation area, the P200-million Jose Pidal case, the $503-million North Rail project, the P728-million fertilizer fund scam, and the 2004 “Hello Garci” election controversy.
It must have been obvious to the opposition by now that Arroyo and her advisers are smart schemers and strategists. They have used all kinds of evil schemes to hide the truth from the public — EO 464, executive privilege, bribery, pork barrel, threats and intimidation, explained and unexplained disappearances of witnesses and principals (JocJoc Bolante, Virgilio Garcillano, Nani Perez, Lindong Bedol, Doble, and, of course, Mike Arroyo who has a habit of being abroad every time there is a scandal involving him), diversions (declaring all-out war against Muslim rebels, destabilization plots, etc.), or just plain lying.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Abalos suddenly takes a much-needed vacation like Mike Arroyo, Bolante and Perez before him. I wouldn’t be surprised either if a contract of almost the same amount with the Chinese government crops up in the future. After all, Sen. Ping Lacson said money has already changed hands, $68 million of which was used to fund the administration’s political campaign in the last elections.
The coincidences are too obvious for us not to think that the Abalos resignation was orchestrated. A day after Abalos resigns, Mike Arroyo comes back from vacation. On the same day, Arroyo goes to China and announces the NBN deal is off.
While in China, did Arroyo make amends for the controversy the NBN deal has generated? Did she reassure the Chinese that a replacement deal is possible? Who knows?
One thing is sure, though. Abalos didn’t resign out of delicadeza. He resigned because he had to. His resignation should not stop the Senate or any other agency from going to the bottom of the NBN deal.
(E-mail the author at valabelgas@aol.com)
The sudden resignation of Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. last Monday elicited various reactions from the opposition to Malacanang, but one thing was certain: everybody welcomed it. The reactions ranged from relief to skepticism, depending on which side of the fence one was in.
Senate President Manuel Villar said Abalos’ resignation, which came on the heels of an impeachment complaint filed against him in the House of Representatives, showed that “delicadeza” was alive. He was alone in saying it, though. At least two other opposition senators offered kind words. Sen. Benigno Aquino III said Abalos spared the Comelec from “further harm.” Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said Abalos displayed “courage.”
Senate Richard J. Gordon echoed what was obviously the general sigh of relief by administration officials, and said “an anxiety has been lifted with Mr. Abalos’ decision to resign.” Speaker Jose de Venecia said Abalos’ resignation “will spare the 14th Congress and the Filipino people a protracted, contentious and potentially divisive impeachment process.”
Malacanang said it “respects” Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos’ decision to resign, and at the same time “wished him well” in clearing his name. Interior Secretary Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno praised Abalos’ move: “I actually congratulate him for his patriotism, with his sacrifice through his resignation and I wish him well. I think he probably made his decision with the interest of the entire political situation in mind.”
Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento lauded the former chairman for protecting the image of the Comelec but added that it was inevitable for Abalos to step down to prevent the Comelec from being dragged further into the controversy.
Opposition congressmen naturally expressed skepticism. Bayan Muna party list Rep. Teddy Casino said Abalos resigned to save President Arroyo from another impeachment complaint for approving the NBN-ZTE deal. Sen. Jamby Madrigal called the resignation a sham, and scored Abalos for allowing himself to be used by Arroyo again. The bishops said the resignation was long overdue and was God’s response to their prayers.
“Resignation does not mean admission of guilt but it does not also exonerate Abalos,” said Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Blue Ribbon chair, adding the Ombudsman could still file charges against him. Sen. Mar Roxas said justice must be still pursued.
The United Opposition, the Black and White Movement and the Makati Business Club said the search for the truth on the broadband deal should not end with Abalos’ resignation.
What really made Abalos suddenly decide to resign?
Abalos said he was resigning to protect his family and the Comelec from further harm, and there’s no reason to doubt that. On the other hand, Abalos also resigned because he saw the handwriting on the wall. If he didn’t resign, he would be impeached.
De Venecia might be unwilling to help him. After all, the person who first blew the whistle on the $329-million National Broadband Network bribery scandal was his son and namesake, Joey de Venecia III. Even in the dirty world of politics, blood is still thicker than water.
Arroyo has not shown signs of support for him either. Recent events, in fact, showed – as Casino correctly pointed out – that Abalos was being fed to the lions when Arroyo’s close advisers, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., allowed Neri to admit during the Senate blue ribbom committee hearing that he was offered P200 million in bribe by Abalos to endorse the controversial NBN deal, but stopped him from answering questions that would implicate Arroyo.
That Abalos would be allowed to fall alone became obvious when neither De Venecia nor Arroyo lifted a finger to make sure that the impeachment complaint would not prosper.
It would be to the best interest of Macalanang for him to resign before the impeachment process starts grinding.
The impeachment proceedings could divide the administration coalition at this time. Unless Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr. intervened on his behalf, his detractors could succeed in elevating the impeachment complaint to the Senate, where a guilty verdict is almost assured and where more of Arroyo’s and Abalos’s dirty laundry could be exposed. The political fallout would be tremendous. Impeachment should not proceed, and only Abalos’ resignation could stop that.
On the same day that Abalos announced his resignation, he and his family were seen dining in a restaurant with three of Arroyo’s closest advisers – Ermita, Andaya and National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales. The three said they were there to wish Abalos well, but I am more inclined to believe they were with him to reassure Abalos that he would be taken care of, and to make sure that Abalos does not implicate the Arroyos.
Malacanang had to console Abalos. After all, Abalos probably knows a lot of secrets involving the 2004 and 2007 elections, not to mention the Arroyos’ role in the NBN bribery scandal. You know how a Mafia lord sends over his associates to visit a colleague he had just slapped, to make sure he remains a friend.
Malacanang is also hoping that with the resignation of Abalos, the controversy would die a natural death, just like all the other scandals that have rocked the Arroyo administration – the $2-million extortion charge against former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez to approve the $470-million IMPSA contract, the P50-million telecommunications bribery scandal involving Mike Arroyo, the jueteng payoff scandal involving Mike and Mikey Arroyo, the P1.3-billion election computerization deal with Mega Pacific, the alleged P532.9-million overpricing of the P1.1-billion, 5.1-kilometer President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in the Manila Bay reclamation area, the P200-million Jose Pidal case, the $503-million North Rail project, the P728-million fertilizer fund scam, and the 2004 “Hello Garci” election controversy.
It must have been obvious to the opposition by now that Arroyo and her advisers are smart schemers and strategists. They have used all kinds of evil schemes to hide the truth from the public — EO 464, executive privilege, bribery, pork barrel, threats and intimidation, explained and unexplained disappearances of witnesses and principals (JocJoc Bolante, Virgilio Garcillano, Nani Perez, Lindong Bedol, Doble, and, of course, Mike Arroyo who has a habit of being abroad every time there is a scandal involving him), diversions (declaring all-out war against Muslim rebels, destabilization plots, etc.), or just plain lying.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Abalos suddenly takes a much-needed vacation like Mike Arroyo, Bolante and Perez before him. I wouldn’t be surprised either if a contract of almost the same amount with the Chinese government crops up in the future. After all, Sen. Ping Lacson said money has already changed hands, $68 million of which was used to fund the administration’s political campaign in the last elections.
The coincidences are too obvious for us not to think that the Abalos resignation was orchestrated. A day after Abalos resigns, Mike Arroyo comes back from vacation. On the same day, Arroyo goes to China and announces the NBN deal is off.
While in China, did Arroyo make amends for the controversy the NBN deal has generated? Did she reassure the Chinese that a replacement deal is possible? Who knows?
One thing is sure, though. Abalos didn’t resign out of delicadeza. He resigned because he had to. His resignation should not stop the Senate or any other agency from going to the bottom of the NBN deal.
(E-mail the author at valabelgas@aol.com)
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