If Senate blinks, money wins again

By Al S. Mendoza

 

SINCE he occupied Malacanang in 2010, President Aquino has taken the House of Representatives by the nose.

But nothing new there, though.

Historically, isn’t the Lower House a rubber stamp of the Palace?

That the only true nationalists—the so-called Makabayan bloc—had shown independence of mind all this time?

The BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law) is a classic case to illustrate the point.

On committee level debate, the BBL seemed to encounter turbulence.

But, alas, that was only at the start.

After only one meeting with Mr. Aquino at Malacanang, Rufus Rodriguez, the committee chair tackling the BBL, took a 360-degree turn.

Openly criticizing some portions of the BBL before the Palace meeting, Rufus ruffled nerves when he became meek as a lamb during resumption of BBL deliberations.

In the ensuing vote of whether or not to pass the initial BBL draft in Rufus’ committee, the yes vote was 55, no 17 and one abstention.

Amid the gallery’s cry of “lutong macau” and “railroad! railroad!,” Rufus was roundly booed.

Did he flinch?

Not at all; but, of course.

The thick-skinned is always thick-faced and no amount of Beloism can fix that.

Rumors would soon fly from all directions about the “yes” congressmen allegedly receiving P50 million each.

That’s for projects in their districts, not to include P1-million pocket money each, all courtesy of the President’s funds.

Whoever said the pork barrel is dead was lying through his teeth.

That is a myth.

It was there when Corona was impeached as Chief Justice.

It’s still here, even as P-Noy goes to his “last two minutes.”

Listen to Sen. Serge Osmena:  “If Senators would again honor an invite from Malacanang, this time to discuss the BBL, it might be a Corona re-enactment all over again.”

Or words to that effect.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada started it all, when he exposed an alleged P50-million “gift” from Mr. Aquino to all those who voted to remove Corona from the Supreme Court a few years back.

If that wasn’t bribery, what is?

But why is the President dead set on having the BBL passed soonest?

A lasting legacy of peace carved out in granite—under his watch?

But will it be truly a bragging right, even if other Moro factions still teem in war-torn Mindanao—such as that admired-but-now-renegade Muslim leader Nur Misuari?

Is the ARRM really dead and creating the BBL would replace it, wrapped in peace—successfully?

I think the answer can only come from the Senate.

Not from the Lower House.

Not even from the Palace by the Pasig.

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