Reason and Concern

By Ronquillo C. Tolentino

Postscripts to JDV

Speakership Overthrow

At no instance in Philippine political history had a change of House of Representatives Speaker been made with the passion and fashion of the speakership overthrow of Speaker Jose de Venecia on the evening of February 4, 2008. The maneuverings for JVD’s outster lasted before 1:00 o’clock in the morning of February 5, 2008. But the plan to outs JVD were already hatched after the ZTE broadband controversy when JDV’s son, Joey, made certain devastating allegations on the First Gentleman’s alleged involvement.

Even as PGMA’s two congressmen sons – Mickey and Dato- expressed openly their irritations to Joey De Vencia’s now-and-then considered by the Palace annoying allegations. The father that he is, JVD made statements defending his son, adding to the perceived chagrins of the First Family even as the First Gentleman was allegedly recuperating from his cardiac operation.

The preparation to overthrow Jose De Venecia had its conclusion on the night of February 4, 2008 as congressmen were allowed to express their respective assents, dissents and abstentions to the motion to declare the speakership vacant. It was a foregone conclusion that Jose De Venecia shall have to go pre-empting an earlier plan to have another caucus the next day than have an immediate political blitzkrieg to cushion the speakership removal.

The February 4, 2008 move to oust De Venecia allowed De Venecia to speak for ten minutes, which lasted for almost an hour where he made scathing statements against the First Family, their sons, the ZTE questionable deal and the alleged assassinations on his life and that of his son. Nobody dared to raise question on De Venecia’s limited time to speak nor was there any interpellation made albeit his speech was not on a motion of personal and collective privilege.

Although the former speaker is still president of the Lakas-NUCD and attempts shall be made to reconcile the President and JVD in a scheduled Lakas–NUCD national directorate meeting, the consideration of reconciliation may be far fetched.

It has been said by Samuel Johnson that no man is defeated without some resentment, which will be continued with obstinacy while he believes himself in the right, and asserted with bitterness, if even to his own conscience he is detected in the wrong.

As it presently appears, resentment shows on JDV. But then, as H. W. Beecher said, it is defeat that turns bone to flint, and gristle to muscle, and make men invincible, and formed those heroic natures that are now in ascendancy in this world. Beecher hastens to add not to be afraid of defeat as you are never so near to victory when defeated in a good cause. It’s not yet over for JDV as 2010 looms in the political horizon. /MP