The timing could have been better. ABS-CBN unfurled its early-late night newscast, Bandila, by headlining the video that shows Gen. Danilo Lim of the Scout Rangers announcing his withdrawal of support, calling Gloria Arroyo as a “bogus president”. I find it suspicious that the video was aired on the maiden broadcast of a newscast, when it could have been aired on the flagship TV Patrol World. And yesterday afternoon, I saw the big three of ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs with some people from Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility on ANC. They were essentially defending thd broadcast of the said video.
That video is a Pandora’s boxful of questions. The great DJB asked a few questions: is the Philippine military full of Angelo Reyes wannabees? And, is ABS-CBN News being used by the Fortress by the Pasig for propaganda purposes?
Again, who leaked the video and the supposed to be a report on the investigation of Lim et al? And why only now? Why not during the so-called February 2006 emergency?
If it is the Fortress who released these smoking guns via persons unknown, why? A smokescreen, perhaps, to bury the impeachment with another issue for the people to gnaw upon. It is a known tactic employed by the Fortress. And the fact that the Fortress is now crowing that the video justifies the issuance of the ill-fated Proclamation 1017, this gives credence to the speculation that the Fortress is behind this.
The AFP is definitely not the one who released these. At the end of the day, the AFP is the biggest loser here. As MLQ3 deftly says, there’s no win-win for the armed forces here. Especially for Gen. Generoso Senga.
What if the person who leaked this is a rogue Fortress or AFP insider? A Filipino Deep Throat, perhaps??
If ABS-CBN has this video all along, and other stations not having their own copies, does that mean that perhaps it was part of the so-called conspiracy to oust Gloria Arroyo? This is implausible, but very possible.
There is this line, said by Mel Gibson in the movie The Patriot, that resonates to today’s events, specially Arroyo’s: “I have long feared, that my sins would come to haunt and visit me, and this is more than I could bear”.
This certainly opened a can of worms. It could be Malacanang’s ploy to lessen the the AFP’s grip on her throat. This could however blow up in their faces. ABS-CBN could be willing or unwilling pawns in this latest drama. I would love to see how this soap opera plays out in the days to come.
I will not be surprised if one of these days, Injustice Secretary Gonzales will bark and bite on ABS-CBN for this. Watch-and-see mode again.