Survival strategy

With former President Cory Aquino, ten of her Cabinet members and erstwhile ally Senate President Franklin Drillon asking for her resignation, can Pres. Gloria Arroyo survive the political hurricane rocking her hold to power?
Poor Ate Glo, she even doesn’t have a soft shoulder to cry on. Her chubby husband Mike Arroyo went on voluntary exile to the U.S. in the hope of diverting the darts thrown in the direction of the First Family.
My barber who is not necessarily an avid fan of Ate Glo has a prescription for her political survival.
First of all, she must have within her immediate grasp a reliable life jacket that can float in Pasig River. While you hope for the best, you must always be prepared for the worst scenario including jumping from the back window of Malacanang to escape the rampaging stunt men gathered by the Erap forces whose mission is to evict her by crook or by crook.
Once she has put in place her exit strategy if all things fail, she must then protect her turf by consolidating her forces. Anybody among her allies who praise her to high heavens and profess loyalty in public must be considered a security risk. Beware of the Drillon syndrome. I pledged loyalty yesterday. I’m bothered by my conscience only today. Those sporting blindfolds are safe. She should form a Council of Psychics who will unmask the Judas among her disciples.
There is no security in new technology. Her communications must not be deciphered to preserve the secrecy of her survival strategy, no cell phones, to faxes, no emails. She can organize a bulong bulong brigade whose job duties are to personally deliver messages in whispers. She should disguise her couriers to prevent intercepts, even use pigeons, kalapating mabababang lipad .
How do you deal with Cory Aquino? The former president is demanding Ate Glo’s patriotic sacrifice to heal the nation. Resign now, says Cory. It would not be good for Ate Glo’s side kicks to bad mouth Tita Cory. The ghost of Cardinal Sin would haunt Malacanang . She should just explain to Tita Cory that in the remaining years of her administration, in addition to writing miss you letters to Mike Arroyo in America, she will catch and unmask the brains behind the assassination of Ninoy.
What about the barking Susan Roces, the widow of Fernando Poe, Jr.? She really believes that Ate Glo stole the presidency from her late husband, FPJ. This is not easy to handle. She can explain that it was really Gen. Ping Lacson who deprived FPJ of the presidency. She is just the beneficiary of Lacson’s political benevolence. Had Lacson relented in his quest for the presidency in favor of FPJ, da King would have been king. Why was the Hello Garci tape not released when FPJ was alive? Was it done by somebody who would not benefit from an FPJ presidency?
There’s Pres. Fidel Tabako Ramos. Ate Glo is lucky she still has a former somebody who is willing to shake her hand. Ramos has not joined the chorus asking for Arroyo’s resignation. He suggests that the government hasten the process of amending the Constitution to convert the presidential system to parliamentary allowing Ate Glo to continue serving during the transition period. You need all the friends you can find in your hour of need. Don’t say no even if you can’t say yes. Your options are few. Buy time, give the great Fidel the best cigars that will make him drowsy. Then he can enjoy being a Prime Minister in his dreams.
And lastly, don’t forget to dangle a rosary for the bishops to see. Declare that the era of condom distribution is over. And if you still can’t fend off the attack of what’s left of the left and the right after they eat each other, then there’s the life jacket and the Pasig River.