Kwarta o kahon?

Bencyrus Ellorin .

I WAS not surprised the president did not curse, insult and talk of killing in his third State of the Nation Address.

Except for one moment, where he said “read my lips” to the delight of the crowd, the president stuck to the prepared speech which is normally stitched by Malacanang staff and reviewed by his writers before handing it to the president.

Among the things he talked about were the Tax Reform Acceleration for Inclusion (Train) Law, and how, because of increased revenues from this law, he can fund his Build, Build, Build program. I thought he would continue his discussion on the economy which his economic managers have been justifying as bullish, despite high inflation; devalued peso; and poor consumers complaining of high prices. He did not.

He talked of Endo or his campaign promise to stop labor contractualization, but justified he has no powers to do it alone and passed the buck to Congress to enact a law to end Endo. People clapped. I do not know why. Well, they clapped when he said during the campaign he would stop Endo. If he is now saying ending contractualization is beyond the powers of the president, then he was lying through his teeth during the campaign. There is actually a long list of lies and deceit during his campaign. But yes, the people clapped, celebrated, felt empowered when their basic human rights were put to test and the tables of the poor getting less and less content every day.

He also warned mining companies, talked of environmental rehabilitation, climate change and resilience. Well, nothing new, these were also in his previous Sona speeches, especially on mining. At the start of his campaign, hopes were high about ending destructive mining because she had Gina Lopez at the DENR. But then as we all know, he melted in the mining lobby and did not move a finger when the Commission on Appointments refused Lopez.

For the first time in history, the House of Representatives changed or tried to change its leadership minutes before the Sona. For the first time, the speech was delayed for over and hour, perhaps as they tried to figure out who his seatmate would be at he helm of the Batasan.

With microphone off and while eartwhile Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez was receiving the president at the House, Gloria went upstage, took her oath, knowing she already had the majority of congressmen — with 184 supporters to be exact.

Gloria is Gloria. She is reported to have tandemed with Davao del Norte 2nd district congressman Antonio Floirendo to oust Alvarez, congressman of the 1st district of Davao del Norte. It can be recalled that the two had a falling as a result of their girlfriends’ quarrel. Gloria and the Floirendos are known to be among the biggest campaign contributors of the president’s campaign.

Alvarez, on the other hand, a former Transportation secretary of Gloria, is a partymate of the president at the PDP-Laban. Although, to save face and have a graceful exit, Alvarez was still seated with the president and Senate President Tito Sotto during the Sona, it is now clear, the House is no longer under the president’s party.

What has been made clear by the July 23 zarzuela at the Batasan was that the character of “mighty” president had been put to test minutes before he took the podium. It may also exposed the triggerhappy man’s weak leadership and questionable values. For failing to protect a partymate in retaining House leadership to the biggest funders of his election.

Faced with Kwarta o Kahon, the president chose the first.