I think I'm beginning to think like a conspiracy theorist... Speculating on things is just one of the many things you can do other than writing really long replies to other people's blogs... So here's a couple of things I thought up yesterday while doing practically nothing...
The Evil Genius
Like it or not, that person in MalacaƱang is a freakin genius. So I guess it's alright to call her an evil genius, literally. I was thinking she has this all planned up since day one of her presidency. Look, what put her to power were the middle class, the rich businessmen, the military, and the Church led by Cardinal Jaime Sin. So what happens is, she favors the rich people, target "economic growth" to please the middle class who seemingly doesn't really care a lot especially after they already put her to power, and give every military leader a position in the government (check Angelo Reyes, Leandro Mendoza, Victor Corpuz, or whoever it is who was, at some point in his life, serving as a top military-sector official and where they are now.). And then there is the issue of the Church. I was thinking, and this is in no means treated as fact, could it be that she too is behind Cardinal Sin's death? Yeah, I mean, he was really old, and he did have complications with his health, but wasn't it a bit too convenient? All right, I don't have much detail in memory about his death, but I seem to remember that it was speculated as food poisoning. I don't know. But thing is, he wasn't bedridden or something, he just had a lingering kidney problem. And then one day he just didn't wake up. Too sudden, not too far away from Rico Yan's case, but just for pleading a "conspiracy" case, could it be that he was indeed "food poisoned"? Cardinal Sin died before GMA ran again for presidency, but was alive to see her saying on national television that she would not run for office again. So, being the "moral leader" of our country, Cardinal Sin might be one of her critics when she ran again. And being a powerful leader that he is, she might not have won (or cheated the discrepancy) the position with him criticizing her. Now, taking him out, and sucking up to the new bishops, she has the support of the Church.
So, let's have a checklist of the people who rallied victoriously to put the president out of power and see how GMA fares:
Military - loyalty in check.
Middle Class - apathy in check.
Businessmen - businesses in check.
Church - no Cardinal Sin, no people power. New bishops, good friends. Ergo: Support in check.
Now, looking at the situation she was in before she was put to power, we turn to the possibility of the Vice President taking power away from her. Erap, Ramos' vice president in his administration, was not the brightest bulb of them all. Eraption and millions of jokes directed at him amused us all and made us believe that Erap was indeed a joke. Yet, the power of the masses whom he "cared" for put him to power. So, when people found a stain in his presidency, they took the streets when senators walked out on the hearing, knowing that an able vice president could replace him. And eventually she did.
So, the vice president has two chances of taking power away from her, one, if people trust him/her enough, or two, if the vice president ran for office. Upon her "appointment" as president of the country, she appointed a respectable leader to be her vice president, Teofisto Guingona Jr. Great, a respectable leader. Yet, someone who would not dare running for presidency because he is too old for it. Scenario number two, check. So she ran for president again, unopposed by her vice president, and took as her running mate a respectable broadcaster who recently entered politics, Noli de Castro. Winnable, yes, but with regards to his capability to govern, a lot of people doubt and criticize him. The guy's only publicly stated English comment was "no one, no one can tell me what to say" and it didn't even seem spontaneous. So, in that case, scenario number one is also in check.
Great, with all the elements of people power in check, she now has insurance that she will stay on as long as she likes.
Prioritizing Games
Now, as for the Ateneo-La Salle unity game, I could only again speculate. Mr. Palou of the Ateneo, whom my aunt was talking to regarding the game, was very much willing to support the cause. But since the game was cancelled on the 2nd of March, the door was open to politicize the game. Alumni pressure got to Mr. Palou, and he gave in. They cancelled the originally re-scheduled game for the 16th citing all reasons possible (including their players being "academically challenged") but insisted on the game not actually being "cancelled" but rather "moved". They proposed March 29th. They said the 23rd was booked. So now, press release comes out, which says Ateneo and La Salle hooked up for a game for a cause, particularly for the PBA Players Trust fund, which will feature former players from both schools who are now playing in the PBA. It is scheduled for March 23.
Funny, before March 2nd, everything was cooked up for the game we proposed, and this thing about the PBA Trust Fund wasn't discussed all this time. How come it's scheduled at an earlier date than our game? With the news we got that some Ateneo Alumni were spreading word not to support our game, I could only speculate that they're behind the whole "rescheduling to the 29th" gig. Since Ateneo would lose face should they back out from the contest they originally agreed to, they decided rather to move it to a later date. It's somewhat logical to think that the people who would attend the 29th would rather come to the 23rd. For example, me, as a student, only has 120 to spare for a game. Would I choose to come to a game which features new faces, or would I go to a game which features established stars and a genuine rivalry?
And besides, they got free publicity from us spreading word that there's going to be an Ateneo-La Salle gimmick for a cause. With the public anticipating an Ateneo-La Salle event, some might even think that what we were advertising and what they are doing is one and the same. Now, I only hope that the game in the 29th would go successfully despite the current situation.
Oh, and they have yet to publicly announce that the game was moved to the 29th. I'm starting to consider giving the tickets back to Araneta. They might just be drawing.
Anyway, everything is just speculation, but really, isn't it fun to consider them true?=P