Humanitarian Reason for House Arrest of Arroyo: A Serious Challenge to President Aquino’s Resolve

President Aquino vowed during his inaugural speech about not giving any special treatment to anyone.Not even himself. No one is above the law. He went where no past Filipino president has gone before. He will not use the traffic siren even on official trips. He meant  to convey the message that he is one with the ordinary Filipino in solving every national problem, one with the people in its struggle to fix the mess that they are in, mess that stretches much further and much worse than a Manila traffic congestion. Mess like the scourge of corruption.

That time the masses are filled with hope, as with every inaugural address. A huge fraction of the population believed him. Getting a good first impression, as what happened, should come naturally for a Benigno Aquino, Jr. Being a member of a family which is very much a part of Philippine history of course helps. He has clearly inherited his parents’ wit, charm and  clean image and the people has every reason to believe that Noynoy heralds a new era of hope and perhaps, prosperity. And P-noy, as he is fondly called, himself said that we cannot talk about prosperity if graft and corrupt practices in government institutions scourges like an epidemic.

Some critics, however, fear that  he might be too soft, too ill-prepared for the position and the mission he sets himself to achieve. And they, too have every reason to suspect. As events come to unfold, as gossips which people consider common knowledge about Gloria Arroyo’s wrongdoings are finally turned into charges, the resolve of P-noy to finish his mission  is now under serious challenge.

The challenge is not about the ability to outwit Gloria by finally filing charges before she can go outside the country. The challenge is not about shutting out every possible alibi supported by perhaps, questionable attestations from medical and legal pundits. The challenge is not about getting enough political support from all too fickle-minded allies. The challenge is not about beating a fading political power with  greater power, or  influence with even greater influence. He has done all that  as early as now, it seems.

The greater challenge is when Gloria Arroyo wears a lamb’s cloth and appeals indirectly for mercy, for  ‘humanitarian reason’  as we often call it. In the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Mrs. Arroyo was quoted as saying, “ We accorded Erap a resort arrest. The best resort that he has. If P-noy can’t afford us the same courtesy, so be it.”

Common people wanting Gloria to go to prison would consider this statement as a simple ‘reverse psychology’. But we all know how potent it is and it is when P-noy is sailing in uncharted waters. How should he treat a disgraced, sick and powerless former leader who is in a serious medical condition. How can he be so cruel when, no one is really guilty until proven in court? If anything happens to Gloria, it is his fault and he may face how Gloria’s still considerable support would seek their vengeance. P-noy knows how the people love underdogs. As days go by, Gloria is more like a 10-1 underdog to him than Marquez is to  Pacquiao. P-noy know that, as a son of a devout Catholic, the ability to forgive and forget is a priceless virtue. He knows that the political climate can change quickly and who knows what would happen if his term ends.  

On the other hand, this fight is not all his to carry. The people has long wanted to see corrupt people go to jail. They want to see how the rich and questionable political figures would fare if they get to spend a part of their lives in situations that the poor have to live with everyday. They want to see someone like the Arroyos feel the hardships of having to stay in a government building robbed of decent facilities. They want to see officials feel the sting of corruption so evident in poorly constructed and maintained prisons. They want to see Gloria in jail.

Can President Aquino maintain his resolve now that Gloria looked so sick, powerless, so helpless? Everyone wants to see. And that might be a deciding battle in the Philippines’ war against corruption.