Velarde And Villar: The Holy Alliance Made In C-5

"This twin entity composed of Velarde and Villar had been meticulously working together since the Ramos administration to get this one a done deal."

Scrambling to salvage his dipping popularity after the C-5 controversy, Manny Villar has found a worthy redeemer in Bro. Mike Velarde - the founder and patriarch of El Shaddai movement in the Philippines. Signs of the times? It depends on how one sees it. Politics and religion as we all know don't really make strange bedfellows, rather they complement each other's notoriety, when it comes to self-gratification and self-serving interests.

Amidst the seemingly immortalized C-5 issue that has continuously badgered Manny Villar, which may have caused his survey ratings to skid, the flamboyant Velarde is coming out supposedly to take the blame, but apparently playing out the good kid with zero intent (?) of causing harm to government coffers, and in the process exonerating his good friend Manny Villar. This coming out by  Bro. Mike should once and for all put this issue to rest against the 'Innocent One'. It was Velarde who authored the realignment and not Villar. ("Tell it to the doomed fool Mr. Velarde.")

This 'righteous servant of god' has emphatically confessed, that he was the one who directed the realignment of C-5, which has consequently benefited his own company including the companies of Henry Sy and Manny Villar. He only gained a modest and measly 1.2 billion pesos, from aggrandizing the value of his properties as a result of his genius. Manny Villar has absolutely nothing to do with this and has not lifted a finger on the said anomalous transactions. ("Tell it again to your repainted orange sheep Mr. Velarde.") Kudos also goes to Joseph Estrada whose notorious midnight deals made this political payback, a landmark act of worship to those who could serve up his whims. Let's not forget that Bro. Mike endorsed Estrada's candidacy in 1998 and got the support of millions of his faithful followers. But why now ditch Estrada for Money V.?

This latest revelation from Velarde himself is not that surprising, to think that from the very start Velarde and Villar colluded themselves to gain from this anomalous C-5 transaction, according to Senator Jamby Madrigal. This twin entity composed of Velarde and Villar, had been meticulously working together since the Ramos administration to get this one a done deal. And the prize of their hard work - billions of pesos from taxpayers of which a big chunk came from minimum wage-earners, and sick Filipinos who have to endure Value Added Tax (VAT) from every purchase of medicine.

This epiphany of questionable credence only ignites more suspicion, (or  in this case conclusion), that the nearly two billion pesos worth of infomercials is deemed insignificant, compared to the colossal profits Villar had gained from that shady C-5 transaction. Though the general perception surmises that Villar once seated, will take back his campaign investments from government coffers, the man has  already enjoyed immensely from its benefit, and there's no way he could end up in the red. He is after all an exceptionally shrewd thinker.

Now his adrenaline running higher, the tangerine idol grins from ear to ear, and goes on with his celestial campaign slogan of eradicating poverty. Not a few, but multitudes of hopeless gullibles are putting their trust in him. Who would dare to cast doubt in his capacity to snatch the poor out of the shackles of hunger, when he had once swum in their turf literally? And who would choose to ignore the 'anointed one' by the righteous servant of god  Bro. Mike Velarde? One needs not to be in the loop to know, that this 'holy alliance' was conceived for the greater cause of them that worship the golden cow.

While it becomes apparent that Mike Velarde is excited for a Villar presidency, (God forbid), the servant leader (to his flocks) has something else in mind. Not the usual financial favor associated with his endorsement, but a political reward is now being cooked up for the 'man of god' - a likely seat in Congress for party-list group BUHAY, of which Velarde is being groomed to become its representative. If early on he signified his intent of running for president and becoming president, this time around, his eyes are set on the speakership, which is not remotely imminent given the support of a possible Villar presidency.

Although the law bars a religious organization from running as party-list group, Mike Velarde is not keen on giving up his ambition, neither his leadership from El Shaddai. His resoluteness on this  matter,  is all the more firmed up by the support of El Shaddai's spiritual adviser Bishop Teodoro Bacani. According to these 'two holy men', their single most important agenda in Congress, is to prevent the passing into law of the Reproductive Health Bill. So, it is quite clear that these two make up a formidable gang of  constitutional rapists who would strip Constitution of its credibility, when it admonishes that the separation of the Church and of the State is inviolable. To be able to push for their self-serving agenda, not for the common good, but for what its dogma and doctrine dictate, the Catholic Chuch and El Shaddai as one entity, sees no problem in what the Constitution rants.

No one in this universe though has an inherent right to judge a person by his appearance, creed or association. But one's show of character calls for careful discernment. A person who claims to be 'a man of God' is above all beyond reproach. His life exemplifies humility, servanthood, modesty and contentment. He is not a subject of accusations of being greedy and a fraud. He does not enrich himself and his family while his followers wallow in abject poverty. He shares in their predicament. His ministry focuses more on salvation of the soul, and not on earthly promises of prosperity and abundance, using inanimate objects such as a piece of cloth. Here calls wisdom. You will know a tree by its fruit.

From a color perspective, it now seems that the political wave inundating the Philippine archipelago has turned sweetly orange. From so-called religious to righteous, to political turncoats in Cebu of late, to the well-wishers of the fancied Villaroyo marriage, to the balut vendors, and to the scholars of the state in Diliman - there is one synonymous clamor prevailing - an orange presidency. Not completely out of one's conviction, I guess, but this clamor I doubt stems from desperation in the case of the poor, and for the deemed wisest, not a fervent belief in him, but of 'rewards' so strong to resist.

Less than two months ahead, we will be witnessing how the Filipino electorate has grown with time; which message resonates across every household, and if 'change' indeed proves the word to watch. Yes, there are clear favorites, but there is no guarantee that is the change everyone screams from their guts, we will all know nonetheless. And I am extremely excited.