SAN FRANCISCO — Word of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s arrest broke just as some friends of mine in southern California were preparing for an event.
On Wednesday, fellow journalists led by Nimfa Rueda and Rhony Laigo, together with the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, will hold a prayer memorial and unveil a photo exhibit in Los Angeles to mark the second anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre in which 58 people were murdered, including 32 journalists.
Arroyo’s arrest has made the upcoming commemoration even more significant.
Finally, Arroyo will have to answer in court the most serious accusation in her political career – that she had rigged an election and tried to preserve and expand her power by aligning with a notorious warlord accused of being behind the most heinous massacre in recent Philippine history.
My friend Nimfa said the reactions to her arrest have been mixed. Some see it as “another palabas,” she said.
”Personally, I think it’s a step in the right direction,” she added. “I just hope that PNoy’s administration will have the strength and the political will to carry this through.
“I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt, just as we’re hoping that he can help identify and punish those responsible for the Ampatuan massacre and the killings of other journalists.”
Arresting a former head of state for alleged crimes is an extremely serious matter in any nation. It happened twice in the Philippines in a span of 10 years.
To be sure, GMA should be considered innocent until proven guilty. And there are, as expected, conflicting views of her arrest.
Is it just another moro-moro clash between factions of the Philippine elite class?
Or is it, as the Aquino administration is trying to portray, the start of a new political era in which the abuse of political power, especially by the chief executive of the land, will no longer be condoned?
Given the seriousness of the accusations based on what appears to be strong evidence against Arroyo, the undoubtedly bold and risky move deserves support.
Bold for Aquino since a public trial could blow up in his face. For P-Noy’s government hasn’t exactly displayed the kind of cohesion and precision to pursue what will no doubt be a protracted and complex legal battle.
And the roots of the Maguindanao massacre certainly go beyond Arroyo. As others have noted, the Ampatuans’ rise to power as a supporting player in the more violent arenas of Philippine elite power politics can be traced all the way to Cory Aquino’s administration.
The hope, to be sure, is that Team Noynoy already has a pretty well-thought out game plan that considers the many possible twists and turns in this fight.
I have my own personal reason for wanting this court battle to move forward. It would help me understand one of the most stunning political meltdowns in the Philippine history.
A decade ago, GMA seemed like the type of president the country needed, after the tumultuous reign of Joseph Estrada: An academic-technocrat with a penchant for policy and a low-profile, low-key style.
In other words, a boring leader – someone who could help the country move forward after the hyper-excitement of the Erap years.
I had first seen Arroyo in action during one of the opposition assemblies in the 1980s, shortly after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino. She was then one of the academic economists focused crtically on the Marcos dictatorship’s record.
I later met her in person when I was a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and she was vice president. She was clearly sharp, and, from interviews with those who knew her, a hard working public official.
She was not the most personable politician I had ever met. “Mataray” was also how others who knew described her.
But amid the Estrada chaos, she certainly seemed like the right person to step in to fix the mess Erap left behind.
Under GMA, Malacanang was supposed to be a no-nonsense, no-drama administration led by an academic-turned-politician.
At least, those were the expectations.
There would be debates and political battles, but they would focus mostly on policy issues. There would be the usual scandals, and political maneuverings — but they would be unexciting compared to Erap’s shenanigans.
Boy, were my expectations way off the mark. One thing I hope the trial could shed light on is: What happened?
In an interview shortly after EDSA 2, GMA told me that she was thinking of “big problems.” She promised that, when it comes to Erap, “There will be retribution. But justice will be pursued with sobriety and dignity — and not like a circus.”
“Healing is now very important,” she also said.
Instead, the academic who was going to be a “boring” leader, who promised a time of “healing” turned out to be the most divisive president in the post-Marcos era.
[The Ampatuan Massacre Photo Exhibit will open on Wednesday, November 23, at FACLA (Filipino American Community of Los Angeles) at 1740 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA 90026]
On Twitter @KuwentoPimentel. On Facebook at www.facebook.com/benjamin.pimentel.