Changeless

WE’VE SEEN it coming.

Yeah, the promise of change that surged into the tsunami that crested with the victory of Rodrigo Duterte appears now to have smashed into and broken by the wall of differential sameness.

That is if we go by the frenzied political horse-trading already in full swing in Davao City and the first choices to man Duterte’s cabinet.

Nacionalista Party, which could not make a definitive choice for vice president in the recent polls, thereby declaring a libre zona which let loose Bongbong Marcos, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Sonny Trillanes upon the electorate, is the first political party to ink a "coalition for change agreement” with Duterte’s PDP-Laban.

Its immediate prize – the choice of Las Pinas Rep. Mark Villar for secretary of the  Department of Public Works and Highways. The designee is the son of NP president Manny Villar, 2010 presidential also-ran and real estate mogul ala The Donald.

Still struck by the C-5 Road imbroglio that smeared the Villar spouses, not a few netizens now smirk at the designation of their hijo at the DPWH as akin to Dracula being made blood bank CEO. Even worse, a pedophile put in charge of an orphanage.

In the last elections, the once formidable monolith that was Lakas-CMD had only one candidate on the national stage – senatorial loser Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.

But this did not prevent the now party du jour, PDP-Laban, from forging a “covenant of unity” with the emaciated Lakas, with Romualdez and presumptuous House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, PDP-Laban sec-gen, doing the signing.

Hyped Romualdez: "The agreement is about working for change. We will work together under the Duterte presidency to push people’s interests."

Push people’s interest. Yes, starting with the liberation of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from hospital arrest. What higher interest for Lakas than that!

At the same Alvarez pre-debut event, GMA’s once Transportation Secretary hailed the support extended to him by his incoming House peers from the Nationalist People's Coalition, the National Unity Party, the Great Ferdinand’s Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, and the 40-strong Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. (PCF).

Gushed Alvarez: "In behalf of the Duterte Administration, we would like to sincerely thank you for your support and we have a lot of things to do to execute the changes that the Duterte Administration have promised to the Filipino people. We hope that the days to come, we shall be united in pursuing the legislation needed to effect the necessary changes."

Changes? If it be truly necessary and in pursuit of the interest of the people, it will not – most certainly – come from these House antiquarians finding common ground with Imelda Marcos, regally and unrepentantly holding court at Alvarez’s bash. 

Yes, what change could come out of playing the traditional post-election sport called balimbingan? Of butterflies flitting from one flower to the other, seeking the sweetest nectar? Of plain political prostitution, in all its graphic obscenity. Of the party pooper in the last elections becoming the party boy in the next? Of political opportunism.

Actually balimbingan has devolved into something worse. Now, politicos don’t change parties like they change clothes. They need not to, really, as they just come as they are, walk into just any party and laugh their way into the graces of the party in power.

And then there are the initial choices for the Duterte cabinet.

I can only maintain guarded pessimism with Digong’s brightest San Beda classmate and cussing-kin Art P. Tugade – no, that middle initial does not stand for his ejaculatory delight.

Notwithstanding, the kilometers of print I churned out lambasting Tugade’s presidency at the Clark Development Corp., I still hope for the basic goodness, for the patriotism in the man to come to the fore at the DOTC. Even at the expense of eating crow.       

Recycled from the GMA shelf – not that anything’s bad with that – are Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo given the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.; Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro in a role reprisal; peace negotiators Jess Dureza and Bebot Bello, also in their familiar roles. 

From the FVR times: Securities and Exchange Commission chair Perfecto Yasay to serve as the acting Foreign Affairs secretary.

I applaud the designation of Manny Piñol at the Department of Agriculture. Evene before his foray in politics that landed him the governorship of North Cotabato many times over, I have known and worked with the once sports commentator and writer of Manila Bulletin, most prominently in the 1992 FVR campaign.

As to Ampatuan lawyer Salvador Panelo as presidential spokesperson and the Maid Miriam-slammed hands-on-ears Vitaliano Aguirre at the Department of Justice, I can only hope Duterte was just in one of his poker-faced joking mood.  

Change is coming? Believe at your own peril.