Mr. Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr., in his testimony before the Senate today, opened a lot of cans of worms, reaching all the way to “Ma’am”, “ES”, and “FG”. In both the ZTE-NBN deal and in the matter of his abduction, he laid bare the connection to Malacañang.
In itself, the testimony does not pin down the specific role the President played in both cases. However, there is a preponderance of evidence linking the President’s men. Politically, there is enough critical mass to indict them in the mind of the public.
However, the more significant aspect of the testimony is its providing of compelling leads to more cases, more administration personalities, and more violations of law and legal procedures. The Senate is now in position to compel more witnesses–willing and unwilling–to testify. The testimony, moreover, has brought the whole thing beyond the issue of the ZTE-NBN and squarely into the arena of the fitness of the Macapagal-Arroyo government to govern.
At this point, the political crisis can already be characterized as the crisis of survival of the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Mr. Lozada had just indicted her as unfit to hold the power of the office of the presidency.
We have entered dangerous times. Dangerous times often beget dangerous decisions. Vigilance is called for.
[…] We have entered dangerous times, he said. “At this point, the political crisis can already be characterized as the crisis of survival of the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” Casiple continues. “Dangerous times often beget dangerous decisions. Vigilance is called for.” […]
[…] Casiple, in a recent post, wrote that we have begun to live in dangerous times. There is no telling to what extremes Czarina […]