Viewpoints
“Divide et impera”
By +Oscar V. Cruz JCD
TIME and again, it is clearly and repeatedly said that there is smoke in Malacañang. And as the saying rightly goes, where there is smoke, there is fire. And where there is fire, there is danger. In other words, there are open talks that Malacañang is presently occupied by two antagonistic political factions. The “Samar” and the “Balay” are the expressed titles mentioned dividing Malacañang occupancy.
Meant to house but one executive family, the said house is pitifully divided between two antagonistic sections. Intended for the use of but one administrative body, therein are instead two closely organized groups with one continuously trying to outdo or undo the other. This is an open secret. And this is not only shameful to the two groupings but also damaging to multi-million Malacañang constituencies who dutifully pay them and who are wherefore expected to serve them—not to fight among themselves.
There is the well known Latin maxim “Divine et Impera”—divide and conquer. Reasons: In division, there is weakness and confusion. In division, there is antagonism and rejection. In division, there is contradiction and alienation. It is for these reasons why it is said—and rightfully so—that a house divided eventually falls. It is a big pity if Malacañang does not know the division or does not accept the division or does nothing to neutralize it.
This matter of a divided Malacañang is not something to be simply overlooked and ignored. To this writing Malacañang is not exactly getting superlative in approval ratings. In fact, one is predictably and wherefore continuously lower than the previous one. The more disturbing phenomenon is not simply the reality that “Balay” is crossing sword with “Samar”, thus trampling upon the solid truth that in unity there is strength.
Add to the Malacañang predicament and liability of a house divided, there are at least three key arguments thrown against its Numero Uno occupant. There is a matter of the perceived lack of a duly prepared and acted upon national development plan. There are wherefore the infamous band-aid solutions applied to big and profound national socio-economic problems. Recently, there is furthermore the issue of “work ethics” brought to fore precisely on account of almost a year of low and progressively lower accomplishment ratings. And as usual, the infallible corporate victim of all these leadership drawbacks and pursuant administrative debacle are one and the same, i.e., the People of the Philippines.
Going back to the meaning and import of the Latin maxim “divide and impera”—divide and conquer— it cannot be said that the truth is not told, that the consequence of this truth is difficult to decipher.
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