Sesame Street

Behind every conceivable move by the administration and the opposition, there is an unseen hand controlling the flow of events.

We saw these clearly last July 8. On that day, a series of Manila bombings, as it were, laid siege on Malacañang Palace. From the clarion call of Cory for the president to resign, she was followed by the resignation of the Hyatt 10 echoing the same demand. To Greenhills where we heard the stentorian voice of Senator Drilon bellowing the same outcry and finally to the Makati Business Club calling out in unison for resignation. These were events that could not have occurred by happenstance.

From the opposition, we saw heaven's gate opened with the anonymous Garci tapes. Proceeding from the tapes, we saw the author of the wireless intercepts, Sgt. Doble, seeking sanctuary behind hallowed grounds for fear of government liquidation, as if he was not one of their own. To the congressional hearings on the Garci tapes which enraged the people and confounded the administration to force the president to issue her "I am sorry" speech. To the impeachment rules and finally, to the appearance of the Girth One, Louie Zuce. The opposition is overjoyed at the turn of events but again, these incidents could not have occurred serendipitously.

The administration is frustrated at the besetting turn of events and wonders when all these will end. The opposition continues to pray for protracted hearings in the Justice Committee so that more witnesses with sudden pangs of conscience will surface and be the next Clarissa Ocampo.

Who are the puppets and where are the puppeteers? The unseen hand has not manifested itself. And there are many that can easily fit the bill. The administration must seek out this unseen hand. The opposition can only gloat at the fortune that has providentially befallen them. The longer this political tragicomedy plays out, the bolder the puppeteers twist the puppets and the marionettes, traversing like chess pieces, strangling every conceivable pass and choking every possible move of the Queen until she is checked mate and falls.

And even now as the Queen is besieged, her armed forces are being tarnished with talks of electoral fraud. While loyal to the Queen, the military is equally, if not, more loyal to their own institution. In the end, left to their devices, they will not hesitate to sacrifice the Queen if only to preserve their status quo and to perpetuate the constitutional fiction that they are the protectors of the people. And for the military to turn their backs on her, that is her greatest fear.

And the left, sensing the growing frustration and the lack of leadership in the opposition, will mobilize its committed forces, stir chaos and anarchy and launch a Red October redux. Unlikely to be successful, it will gain greater foothold on the next regime as a political accommodation, as spoils of war.

In all these slew of events, we must not allow ourselves to be manipulated by the puppeteers or be the puppets of other puppets. But I am afraid it may be a bit too late.

Sometimes, to stop the enemy from taking advantage of us, it is wise not to play chess at all. And sometimes, it is preferred to watch Sesame Street. On that show, while we do not see the strings and the puppeteers, at least we know and we are not fooled that the muppets are being manipulated. I wish I could say the same for us gullible folks.

BE STILL AND KNOW.