FPJ camp moves to re-invent itself, before ‘it’s too late’

There was a big, no-holds-barred, tapatan bull session in the Dasmariñas Village home of businessman Melo Santiago (brother-in-law of FPJ Media Bureau Chief Rod Reyes) in which Da King and his group, including most of the KNP senatorial candidates, assessed what’s going wrong and agreed on new rules of "accessibility" and campaign-approach for the Opposition front-runner.

It’s no secret the FPJ-Loren bandwagon has bogged down, despite Panday’s movie-idol popularity, with local candidates in disarray and internal discord within the pangkat owing to the ASO gang’s cordon sanitaire tactics and the Hawi Boys antics, and other irritations.

Yesterday, the KNP – they hope – is re-emerging with renewed vigor and "restored" unity. FPJ was supposed to speed north to Baguio, then Kalinga-Apayao, and Benguet. Another sortie to the soft underbelly of the Visayas is in prospect.

In sum, Da King will be accelerating his activities and personally reaching out to more people in a fight to recover his . . . well, almost "lost" kingdom.

Former Executive Secretary and Senate President Edgardo Angara (only recently re-admitted to the "inner circle") denies he belonged to the ASO.

In any event, the meeting ended with the resolve that there should be no more "ASO" cocooning of the top opposition candidate. Is it true that Senator Tito Sotto will now confine himself to logistical planning and implementation.

I must correct myself for calling Senator Tessie Aquino- Oreta "ex-Senator". Indeed, as she rightly pointed out to me, she’s still a Senator of the Republic until June 30. Sorry, Tessie for this factual lapse, and the premature snatching away of your title. Will Senator Oreta, though, continue tail-gating FPJ on his campaign – and vetting all who’re trying to approach him? That is the question.

As for the Hawi boys, have they been instructed to . . . uh, be less boisterous in their aggressive tactics? Spanked even? Where were they when they were most needed, such as in tactfully pleading with GMA-7’s Sandra Aguinaldo when she hopped on that stage in Iloilo, and staying off the microphone-poking "incident"? There may a time for Hawi, but being on the campaign trail is no time to alienate people.

The bottom line is that FPJ now has to prove to the nation that he’s not the "captive" of a cordon sanitaire, and of the TRAPOS and power brokers who surround him. How can anyone lead a crusade when his vanguard is composed reprobates and the "Old Faces" of the 1980s?

The awful truth of this midway-into-the-campaign period is that the opposition juggernaut has not been pulling away, gaining any big lead over the Defending Queen, La Emperadora GMA, whose birthday bash in Lubao was highlighted by Tarays hugging and kissing, and conducting "make-up" and "reconciliation" grimaces for the camera. (Remember, the Son of Man was betrayed by Judas Iscariot with a kiss.)

This is such a kissy-kissy town, it’s a wonder we didn’t incur a SARS epidemic. Perhaps the SARS microbes died when exposed to a much deadlier virus, our politicians.

As for "bird flu", with so many roosters crowing and chickens flying their political coops – it’s for the birds.

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If there’s any bid for FPJ’s camp and that of the other LDP challenger, Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, to join forces, it is now – or never. Yet they even seem to be farther from each other.

A representative of a powerful religious sect was dispatched to Lacson a few days ago to convey the message that Ping ought to explore "unity" initiatives with Ronnie Poe. Lacson replied that the religious sect leader might do well to call him up personally. There are too many "representatives", perhaps he thought, trying to broker deals and convey messages.

It’s time for face-to-face, I believe, including face-to-face between FPJ, Lacson and Senator Loren Legarda. I won’t explain further the "speculations" which are going around about anybody "sliding down".

And let’s not forget ex-Senator, ex-Secretary Raul Roco who’s still battling gamely – but not gaining ground apparently.

It must by now be clear to everybody in the opposition that La Gloria, for all her earlier faltering, has regained the upper hand. They can blame the "government money", and the all-out governmental support (including government agency ads, freebies, etc. being lavishly thrown into the mix) but disunity and power struggles within their own organizations are most to blame for the plight of the opposition.

K-4 is an organized monolith, with a three-year record of experienced bullying and distribution of largesse as well as non-stop financial solicitation for logistical purposes. Then there’s the Equity of the Incumbent, with that other possibility, Equity of the Comelec.

The Commission on Elections, on the other hand, is itself in disarray, with regional directors seething at some of the "decisions" being made at the top. Abangan the coming noises about impending palpak.

Holy Week is a time for fasting, sacrifice, prayer and introspection. However, this is not going to be so on the part of those fighting for power – or to retain power. They’re busily distributing those thirty pieces of silver, seeking to crucify each other, and washing their hands over each black deed or act of betrayal.

Jesus died to save us from our sins. The sinners are trying to save themselves from each other – and from just retribution. But what’s new? The Via Crucis and the tearful, tragic denouément on Mount Calvary were merely the culmination of a week of frenzied politicking, manipulation, and backstabbing. In the end, even his closes and dearest Apostles, denied Jesus and ran away.

Makes one tend to despair about mankind, doesn’t it?

But then there was the Resurrection from the all-encompassing gloom of Good Friday, and the sorrowful exhaustion of the following Saturday. Will it be Sabado de Gloria? Yet, on Easter Sunday, Jesus radiantly emerged from the tomb in glory – the stone rolled back, His face alight.

"Fear not," He said, "for I have overcome the world!"

What is Easter, after all, without the Passion and Death, the agony, the sorrow and the despair of Good Friday? Truly we fear. Yet the Redeemer’s promise remains in our hearts, if we be but constant to His Word.