They are loyalists only provisionally. So long as Arroyo provides for their needs — steady releases of pork barrels and P500,000 cash gifts — they will stay loyal. Apart from Arroyo’s two congressmen-sons who naturally will protect her and one or two colleagues lusting to be Speaker, most are in it only for the money. That includes even the neophytes and the supposed “young idealists”. One hundred-ninety of them (from a 240-member House) already got a taste of what it’s like to be in power or proximate to it. The bags of cash handed to them on Oct. 11 at Malacañang were not the first, nor will be the last. Service to the people was never their intention in seeking congressional seats last May. Money was. On Monday a congressman from the majority will stand up to have all seats declared vacant. That has been decided in the series of meetings in Malacañang last week.
Kaya nang hikayatin niya si President Arroyo na mamuno sa “moral revolution,” nangako siyang maglilinis din ng pork barrel sa Kongreso. Kaso mo, dinedma lang siya ni Arroyo. Ipinabatid nito ang tingin niya sa panukala ni De Venecia nang bulyawan niya ito sa isang pulong para pagbatiin sila. Tapos, nag-press statement ang Malacañang na dapat ay si De Venecia — dahil sa kanyang mas mababang ranggo sa gobyerno at partidong Lakas — ang sumunod sa programa ni Arroyo.