as things currently stand, only a vengeful totalitarian government, without regard to due process and rule of law, can railroad a gma conviction.

My prediction is that there will be a 2010 election and the next President would either be Noli, Villar, Roxas, Lacson, Gordon, or Legarda.

Not that they are of high stature presidentiables, but in Philippine context, anyone is acceptable except the incumbent.

It would be too bold an act for GMA to extend her rule by the options laid out by Justice Panganiban, martial law, emergency rule, Con-Ass considering that the Church has already voiced out its opposition.

Martial law under Marcos came about because the Church for most of the time had danced tango with Marcos and Imelda.

Now the Church has expressed its displeasure over cha-cha, and therefore over any idea that will bring the same result, emergency rule or martial law.

GMA cannot risk the displeasure of the Church and suffer the same fate as Mr. Marcos. She has a good look at history and she would follow her basic catholic training.

Compared to Marcos, she has no blood in her hand for thousands of desaparecidos and salvaging under Marcos. Though similar crimes occur during her watch, such were directly pinned to the military apparatus and routinely on her civilian rule only under the precept of being the commander-in-chief. But if you consider the Pinoy ethos for humanity, once GMA steps down from power and do it without bloodletting, she would be loved by Pinoys and could hope to run again after the 2010 election.

GMA now could not be threatened for possible prosecution after her era by the new regime. All these talk about dismounting from a tiger is all horseshit. The new power in Malacanang would pat her back for mishandling her administration which helped too much extent the rise of the new power in that House by the Pasig River. All these vitriolic against GMA is period specific, 2010 elections. Once we passed this election fever, a new political atmosphere will calm the nation until the new kleptocracts in Malacanang started dipping their fingers in our coffers again.

If you consider that Erap despite his conviction was extended the pleasure of liberty from prison, and the Marcos’ plunder and bloody regime entirely forgotten and the Pinoys had brought them back to power, GMA would be extended much more courtesy and sympathy and the new dispensation would be awed by such sympathy as to be able to put her on trial. That is if she would allow power-change without bloodletting. And if they would insist on trial, GMA would become a martyr in the eyes of the Filipinos, a situation the new administration cannot handle. Erap, a convict still bedazzles the ever gullible Pinoys. GMA does not have that baggage of conviction nor of the sins of the degree of the Marcos era.

I will bet 100 dollars to 25 dollars if I have my analysis of the situation is proven wrong.

But what is YOUR opinion? Under martial law upheld by a simple majority of the Congress, can 3/4 of the House members plus 18 convene a Constituent Assembly and propose revisions and amendments to the Constitution?

Am I not right to disagree with the suggestion that under martial law Villafuerte could get away with the “voting jointly” interpretation of Article 17 Section 1 (chacha) ?